A socio-political, economic and historical analysis of corruption in Nigeria 1960-2007

The subject of corruption has been an integral part of Nigeria's economic, political, and social life since achieving independence from Britain in 1960, and probably even before. Successful governments have from time to time declared their intention to control the phenomenon, and have created special agencies and yet Nigeria continues to be enmeshed in huge financial criminal practices (Otusanya, 2010). In order to enrich our understanding of the causes and consequences of the corrupt practices of actors and their social relations, a historical framework was explored to explain why anti-social practices persist in Nigeria. This paper therefore argues that the persistence of the practice may be due to the colonisation of institutional structures in Nigeria, weak countervailing structures, enduring institutional structures, poor regulations and weak judicial systems. The paper suggests that, these institutions have not been strong enough to challenge and shape the governing system and offers some suggestions for reform.