The businessman from Dubai was responding to a question posed to him. Asked what Dubai had done to get phenomenal development and what Nigeria needed to do his short answer was to the point. “Nigeria Is way Richer Than Dubai, Nigeria had Crude Oil Before Dubai, Nigeria Also Has Agriculture, Gold, Diamond and many Other valuable Mineral Deposits (Minning), But Nigeria Is Currently the way it is Because Of Bad Leaders, the only reason Dubai is better than Nigeria is because of Good Leadership”

Nigeria has been plagued with corruption that has inhibited development and promoted poverty.

Political corruption has become commonplace and is a persistent phenomenon in Nigeria. For a country that discovered oil way before Dubai Nigeria has failed to move out of the poverty league mainly due to rampant corruption that has become the norm nationally.

Nigeria, which is the most populated country in Africa, has consistently been ranked high in corruption by Transparency International and other notable organizations that monitor corrupt practices around the world.

High corruption rankings affect almost all Nigerians who migrate to foreign countries, as foreigners have the perception that since Nigeria is corrupt, so too are all Nigerians.

In the year 2000, Transparency International conducted a survey on the corruption levels of 90 countries, including Kenya, Cameroon, Angola, Nigeria, Côte-d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia, India, Venezuela, Moldova, and others. Nigeria was ranked as the most corrupt because the country occupied the 90th position in terms of transparency.

Some political commentators have attributed the discovery of oil and natural gas as the two major events believed to have led to the sustained increase in the incidence of corrupt practices in Nigeria.

Efforts have been made by the government to minimize corruption through the enactment of laws and the enforcement of integrity systems but with little success. In 2012, Nigeria was estimated to have lost over $400 billion to corruption since independence. Greed, ostentatious lifestyle, customs, and people’s attitudes are believed to have also led to the increase and perpetuation of corruption in Nigeria.

Others have pointed at tribalism as another root cause of the culture of corruption in Nigeria. Friends and kinsmen seeking favor from officials can impose strains on the ethical disposition of the official as these kinsmen see government officials as holding avenues for their personal survival and gain. Corruption is Nigeria’s biggest challenge.

It’s clear to every citizen that the county has an extremely high level of corruption. Corruption is found in every sector of society.

Critical examination of both small and large sectors reveals corrupt practices at every level.