cover image: Collective action on corruption in Nigeria

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Collective action on corruption in Nigeria

26 Mar 2021

According to the second household survey conducted in 2018 by the Chatham House Africa Programme’s Social Norms and Accountable Governance (SNAG) project in Nigeria, Christians and Muslims in the country have similar beliefs with reference to corruption. This finding holds true whether the fictional person on whose actions the survey vignettes are based is Christian or Muslim. Of the survey respondents, 88 per cent said that the private appropriation of government funds (i.e. corruption) is unacceptable. Only around one in 10 thought it was acceptable. When the reason for corruption was changed in the survey, from personal benefit to religious community benefit, 80 per cent of respondents still believed this was an unacceptable practice. However, 20 per cent (or one in five of those surveyed) stated that taking government funds for one’s religious community’s use was acceptable. While religion in Nigeria provides the basis and language for morality and ethical behaviour, there are expectations, pressures and practices, related to norms of religious giving, in-group favouritism, communal financial obligations and material prosperity, which limit the negative consequences for individuals of participating in corruption that benefits a religious community. Faith-based anti-corruption interventions need to be reframed or developed to be sensitive to: the potential acceptability of corruption or expectation of misuse of government funds for religious purposes; the influence of social expectations of religious giving, reciprocity and in-group favouritism; and the general association of religiosity or devotion with material prosperity and philanthropic behaviour.
nigeria africa programme social norms and accountable governance

Authors

Dr Leena Koni Hoffmann, Raj Navanit Patel

ISBN
9781784134389
Published in
United Kingdom

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