Systemic corruption is the bane of many developing countries. In the words of a prominent anti-corruption crusader, corruption is a “force which drives poverty, inequality, dysfunctional democracy and global insecurity”.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently highlighted the dangers of allowing corruption to fester when he described the menace as a “scourge”.

Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Opening Ceremony of the 6th Annual General Assembly of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) in Abuja on August 19, 2024, the President stated: “Corruption remains one of the most significant obstacles to the progress and prosperity of our nations. It undermines the very fabric of our societies, erodes public trust, and impedes the equitable distribution of resources.”

Over the years, despite the government’s best efforts, corruption has remained malignant. The passing of legislation, establishment of anti-graft agencies and popular media campaigns have only succeeded in slowing down the rate of its spread without bridging the gap between our expectations and reality. Since corruption impacts a country’s economy, growth and overall development, it is important that we expand our study of it and adopt a more multidisciplinary approach towards understanding why it has remained intractable and how it can be effectively curtailed.

First, we need to admit that Mr. Ola Olukoyede and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission he leads, cannot singlehandedly stop corruption in Nigeria. But they have a lead role to play in the crusade. It goes without saying that the EFCC will need the strong political will and backing of the government and the support of all Nigerians in this fight.

We have often overlooked the significant impact of tribalism and lack of patriotism in our collective fight against corruption. Yousif Abdelrahim, a Senior Research Fellow at the Prince Mohammad University in Saudi Arabia, in an extensively researched paper, explored the “relationship between tribal factors of gender inequality, ethnic fractionalisation, indigenous population, group grievance, and the country’s level of corruption and explains why tribalism causes corruption in 132 countries worldwide”.

Many researchers have now successfully linked tribalism to corruption. However, the fact that this still appears strange to many is probably the major reason why the problem of corruption is still largely intractable.

Rooted in love for self and selfishness, tribalism inspires and commits individuals or a group of people with identical linguistic features, cultural practices, customs and typically similar lifestyles to defend and protect one another’s interest even at the risk of temporary or permanent damage to others and to the wider society.

It reflects in practices which jettison merit, hard work and competence to favour members of one’s ethnic group or activities aimed at protecting and/or defending members of the ethnic group who have committed criminal acts. Members of the groups are also under constant pressure to provide for their groups at all cost and to put the interest of their ethnic group well above any other individual or national interests.

Nigeria’s Perspective

Tribalism has always been a topic of discussion in almost every national platform in Nigeria and for grave reasons. It has become one of the most influential factors in decision making in most private and public institutions. Tribalism, rather than merit or competence, usually influences appointments to positions, admission into secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, decisions on allocation of resources and, surprisingly, who should be prosecuted or discharged.

It is disheartening to observe that though Nigerians were united in their collective demand for independence, the nation became balkanised into different ethnic groups immediately after the colonial masters departed. In immediate post-independence Nigeria, the elites viewed the outgoing British colonialists as an ethnic group which fought to transfer the nation’s resources to themselves and worked only to advance the interest of Her Majesty, the Queen of England. They subsequently followed suit after the exit of the colonialists.

After independence, our leaders viewed “national” development from the perspective of the economic growth and well being of their ethnic groups. Political parties were formed along ethnic lines and though their manifestoes contained projects intended for the development of the whole country, they were only able to appeal to their ethnic groups and nationalities. Voting was and has largely remained along ethnic lines even after six decades of independence.

Almost every appointment and allocation were done based on ethnic consideration. In fact, in 1996, by Act 34, the Federal Government established the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to “implement and enforce the Federal Character Principle of fairness and equity in the distribution of public posts and socio-economic infrastructures among the various federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The provisions of the 1999 Constitution in Sections 14 and 153 consolidated the establishment of the FCC for operation in a democratic system of Government.”

Nigerians pay lip service to patriotism. Some Nigerians, often, will go out of their way to circumvent due process if it goes against their ethnic group or someone from their group. This is in addition to the enormous amount of pressure on political appointees to corner resources in the interest of themselves and their groups. Tribalism significantly hinders the fight against corruption. There is a tendency for some Nigerians to stop the prosecution or aid the escape of their tribesmen involved in corrupt activities.

Patriotism – The Missing Link

George Bernard Shaw said: “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” As a people bound together in nationhood, we must bring ourselves to the point where we think of ourselves first as a Nigerian and then as a Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, etc. We cannot live together as one another’s enemies or in constant competition with one another.

Countries like the United States, Belgium, France, China, United Kingdom, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc have uniquely managed their diversity to achieve greatness. We cannot be an exception. Diversity cannot become an obstacle to national development.

A Clarion Call to Nigeria

Our love for Nigeria should inspire our determination to make the country corruption free. This is possible! The is the only guarantee that our region and states will accordingly experience growth. This should have been evident since independence. No federating state or region can be greater than the whole country.

The Federal Government and indeed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the fight against corruption must lead the campaign to re-orientate citizens on the need for all Nigerians to enlist themselves in the fight against corruption. It must become our responsibility to expose corrupt practices and support the agency in fighting corruption.

It is important to appeal to the conscience of all Nigerians by assuring them of the role of the constitution in our national consciousness. Nigerians need to be intentional about reading, understanding and abiding by the constitution, which guarantees their rights. Additionally, the Judiciary needs to work hand-in-hand with the EFCC as well as the police to forge a stronger partnership because of the history that ties them together.

The National Orientation Agency and other agencies in its mould must partner with EFCC to educate Nigerians on why and how their love for our great country will help destroy corruption. Education can be both informative and inspirational.

It is perhaps necessary to state that citizens are expected to lawfully and respectfully honour invites or summons from the EFCC and other security agencies without any accompanying drama, while the EFCC must respect citizens’ fundamental human rights to be presumed and treated as innocent until declared otherwise by a competent court of law. For all parties, it is our patriotic duty and responsibility.

Finally, this is the time to wake up to the reality of the threat that corruption poses to us as individuals and as a nation. It is the right time to fly the Nigerian flag high up there and honour our fatherland with the love it deserves.

Let’s be patriotic!