Maritime anti-corruption group bemoans Nigeria’s low ranking on corruption perception index

The Maritime Anti-Corruption of Network (MACN) has recommended the model of  collective action that has been yielding results in the maritime sector to be replicated in other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

This is coming after the recent release by Transparency International (TI) the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report for year 202,  rating Nigeria as number 154  position out of 180 countries.

MACN in a statement on Wednesday said, “While modest and incremental reforms are beginning to gain roots in the maritime sector, where the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) in collaboration with the Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC), the Independent Corrupt and Other Related Practices Commission (ICPC) and Technical Unit on Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) and other port agencies through the instrumentality of the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) housed by the NSC and the Project Steering Committee (PSC), the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM) which led to the formation of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT), such collective action initiative is not replicated in other sectors and such a model is recommended for anti-corruption reforms in the country.

“For anti-corruption efforts to be effective and bear results, preventive reforms involving all relevant stakeholders have shown itself to be more effective in the medium and long term.

Recall that on 25th January 2022, Transparency International (TI), a global movement working in over 100 countries to end the injustice of corruption released its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report for the year 2021. The CPI measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption.

In the statement accompanying the report, TI acknowledged ’that corruption levels are at a worldwide standstill’ and that ‘31 countries have made no significant progress against corruption in the last decade.

Two-thirds of countries score below 50, indicating that they have serious corruption problems, while 27 countries are at their lowest score ever’.

Of the poor performing countries, Nigeria featured prominently scoring 24 out of a possible 100 points and ranking an abysmal 154 out of the 180 countries ranked. A score that has been described as an historic low.

While countries like Kenya which was in the same bracket score with Nigeria in 2016 have progressively improved in its CPI index raking, Nigeria has progressively declined.