A transparency organisation, Accountability Lab Nigeria has expressed concerns about the level of corruption in the procurement and contracting processes in the country.
The group said this has resulted in the country losing billions of dollars, stressing that bribe-paying Nigerians spend an average of N28, 200 annually on cash bribes.
Country Director of the organisation, Friday Odeh, according to a statement he signed on Saturday, stated this during an Integrity Conference organised by the group in Abuja.
Odeh urged the Federal Government to build institutional integrity to reduce systemic corruption in Nigeria.
According to him, building institutional integrity needs cross-sectoral cooperation and collaboration.
Odeh said the private and public sectors must cooperate towards the common goal of strengthening accountability mechanisms, rewarding integrity, and ensuring that governance systems are based on fundamental commonly shared ethical values.
The statement reads: “Unethical practices and the cost of corruption in procurement/contracting processes, and service delivery has led to the loss of billions of dollars.
“Building institutional integrity will reduce systemic corruption in Nigeria but this needs cross-sectoral cooperation and collaboration. The private and public sectors must cooperate towards the common goal of strengthening accountability mechanisms, rewarding integrity, and ensuring that governance systems are based on fundamental commonly shared ethical values.
He also described embezzlement, bribery and electoral fraud as the biggest forms of corrupt practices in the country.
“Embezzlement, bribery and electoral fraud remain huge forms of corrupt practices in everyday Nigeria. Vote-buying, which is not fundamentally new to Nigeria’s electoral politics, has become commonplace. One of the most essential ingredients of Nigeria’s democracy now is a challenge to democratic governance.”
He lamented that programmes from War against Indiscipline, “Good People, Great Nation” to “Change begins with me” aimed at attitudinal change by different administrations have all failed.
He said: “On different levels and with different administrations, the Federal Government has tried to lead programmes to change behaviours and improve the negative social norms-but the record has been disappointing; from the aggressive 19-month-long War against Indiscipline organised by the former military government with the aim of correcting social maladjustment; the legacy “Good People, Great Nation” to rebrand Nigeria which was believed to be inconclusive due to irresponsible leaders; to the faceless “Change begins with me” campaign which many leaders made a mockery of. In all, none of them has worked to build a Nigeria where citizens are faithful, loyal and honest.”
He appealed to Nigerians, including political leaders, to rethink the country’s value system.
“Our value system needs the collective efforts from the government, private sector, religious leaders, media, and other invested parties to rebuild it. What we need also are creative efforts that experiment with out-the-box ideas and that ensure a diverse array of voices at the table.
“We risk hampering our own developmental efforts if we don’t work together to ensure that integrity is the norm in our society.
“We need to change the narrative and join hands to build a society with good values that prioritise the public good over personal interests,” the statement added.