What is corruption costing you and me?

This month, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission reported that it had recovered about N170 million from those who looted the government treasury. That money could have provided a 17-classroom block with capacity of 595 students. This is just one conservative estimate of the costs of corruption.

Corruption stunts development in any society and our country Nigeria unfortunately remains a glaring example. Corruption steals the future of bright and talented Nigerians, robbing them of a chance to achieve their full potential. Corruption takes the lives of family, friends and loved ones. Corruption is like a virus; it affects every Nigerian; rich or poor, Christian or Muslim and manifests in various ways - deaths from lack of good roads, extortion and bribery, the importation of substandard products and manufacture of fake drugs.

Studies show that corruption thrives anywhere secrecy is the norm, in societies where citizens don’t have the access to public information. It is demonstrated in offices where connections to government officials are valued over the ability to perform.

After insurgency, Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, has corruption as its biggest problem, and as corruption grows, the cost of corruption on innocent citizens increases in tandem.

With this video, BudgIT on behalf of the implementing partners of the Access Nigeria Project aim to enlighten citizens on the cost of corruption and facilitate collective civil action which can tackle the unfolding dynamics of corruption and halt its spread.

Access Nigeria Project is a project funded by the US Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, which addresses issues around transparency and accountability in the justice and security sectors. The scheme also aims to strengthen governance at all levels, with a view towards increasing social awareness in citizenry and working towards long-term sustainability of these objectives whilst empirically measuring impact.