Transparency International has ranked Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt country in the world in its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Nigeria shares this position, with a score of 26 out of 100, alongside Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq, and Cameroon.
The CPI, released on Tuesday, February 11, evaluates perceived levels of public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Denmark emerged as the least corrupt country, scoring 90 points, followed by Finland with 88 points and Singapore with 84 points. No African country made the top 10 least corrupt nations, a list dominated by European countries. However, Cape Verde ranked as the least corrupt African country, scoring 62 points to place 35th globally.
The most corrupt countries for the year under review are South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela, which occupied the bottom of the list.
Speaking on the results, François Valeria, Chair of Transparency International, noted, “The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries.” Valeria highlighted the impact of corruption on global issues such as climate action, stating, “Research also reveals that corruption is a major threat to climate action. It hinders progress in reducing emissions and adapting to the unavoidable effects of global heating.”
Valeria further noted that while 32 countries have significantly reduced corruption levels since 2012, 148 countries have remained stagnant or worsened over the same period. “The global average of 43 has also stood still for years, while over two-thirds of countries score below 50. Billions of people live in countries where corruption destroys lives and undermines human rights,” Valeria added.