Transparency International on Wednesday raised fresh concerns that public procurement processes in the country continue to serve as a central vehicle for systemic corruption despite ongoing reforms by the government.
NewsQuest reports that industry stakeholders have also at different times warned that corruption in public procurement is a widespread issue that not only inflates project costs by as much as 50 percent but also reduces the quality of goods and services, sometimes putting lives at risk.
Speaking to journalists at the presentation of the eighth edition of the SDG 16 – Nigeria Shadow Report prepared by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISCLAC), Transparency International Nigeria, the Executive Director Auwal Ibrahim Musa said that it remains important for Nigeria to strengthen its institutions and make them independent.
The 2025 report by the civil society said “between August 2024 and August 2025, Nigeria’s public procurement system continues to serve as a central vehicle for systemic corruption.
“Despite the government’s ongoing reform narrative, procurement practices remained riddled with fraud, inflated contracts, and political patronage.”
According to the Transparency International report, high-level scandals revealed the deep structural failures in the way contracts are awarded, managed, and monitored, while efforts to increase transparency and accountability were either poorly enforced or strategically ignored.
The report, which revealed that Nigeria’s open budget survey score remains low at 31/100, showing little improvement since 2021, said “although, reforms in 2025 decentralized approval thresholds and introduced digital certification, weak oversight risks expanding opportunities for abuse.”
Director Auwal told reporters that every year, the organization chooses Goal 16 of the MDGs goal assess how Nigeria has made progress and how some issues have become challenging to the country regarding economic development and well-being of the people.
He said Transparency International in its report often recommends ways in which the country can overcome some of these challenges, given the intensity of violence, given the rampant corruption, given the fact that access to justice and accountable governance, as well as responsive governance, are becoming a dream in Nigeria.
Auwal noted that this ensures that the organization encourages the government to build strong institutions that can be responsive and responsible, and more importantly, to ensure that there is peace, because, if there is no peace, there cannot be development.
“One of our recommendations this year is to ensure that Nigeria has a legal framework on whistleblowing. Because, a lot of Nigerians, when they want to expose corruption, they get victimized. Currently, there is a case of someone who exposed corruption in the Katsina State Police Command where a lot of dubious payroll is taken. This individual has now been framed and arrested for exposing that corruption.
“Secondly, there are a lot of people who have also suffered administrative injustices as well as exposing corruption. So, we call on the government to ensure that we have a legal framework for whistleblowing.
“We also called on the government to ensure that they block leakages. You know, in our financial institution, because the amount of money that is being laundered, the amount of illicit financial flow going on in the country, cannot be sustained
“There is no way we can have enabling resources to achieve the sustainable development goal if monies are being stolen daily by public officials.
Right now, some public officials are being accused of laundering or stealing money to come and buy properties here in America, Europe, and other countries. We need to ensure that corruption is actually addressed as one of how we can be able to sustain or achieve the Sustainable Development Goal,” Transparency International stressed.
