Transparency International, a global anti-corruption coalition, has ranked Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt country in the world according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released on Tuesday.
Nigeria shares this rank with Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq, and Cameroon, all of which scored 26 points on the index.
Denmark has maintained its position as the least corrupt country in the world with a score of 90 points, followed by Finland with 88 points and Singapore with 84 points. The top ten least corrupt nations were predominantly European, with no African country making the list.
However, Cape Verde stood out as the least corrupt country in Africa, ranking 35th globally with 62 points. Conversely, South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela were identified as the most corrupt countries in the world for the year under review.
In response to the report, Francois Valeria, Chair of Transparency International, highlighted the pervasive threat of corruption and its impact on global challenges such as climate change.
“The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) demonstrates that corruption is a significant issue in every part of the world, but there are positive changes happening in many countries,” Valeria stated.
“Research also shows that corruption poses a major threat to climate action. It hampers progress in reducing emissions and adapting to the inevitable effects of global warming.”
The CPI evaluates 180 countries and territories worldwide based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, using a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
Since 2012, 32 countries have made significant strides in reducing corruption, but Transparency International noted that 148 countries have either stagnated or worsened during this period.
“The global average of 43 has remained unchanged for years, and over two-thirds of countries score below 50. Billions of people live in countries where corruption devastates lives and undermines human rights,” Valeria added.
