Global anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International today released its latest assessment of public sector corruption in countries around the world, with Nigeria placing 142nd out of 182 countries surveyed in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
TopSociety reports that Nigeria’s CPI scores have fluctuated over the years but remained consistently low. In 2019, the country ranked 146th with 26 points. It dropped to 154th with 24 points in 2021, improved slightly to 145th with 25 points in 2023, and rose to 140th with 26 points in 2024.
The new position saw Nigeria scoring 26 out of 100 points, resulting in a two-spot decline from the 140th spot the country occupied on the previous CPI ranking.
With this, Nigeria’s score remains well below the global average of 43, and lagging behind 33 other African countries.
The CPI ranks countries on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Transparency International (TI) reported that the global average dropped to 43, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.
Nigeria retained its score from 2024 but fell from 140th to 142nd place, reflecting stagnation in anti-corruption efforts.
In Africa, Seychelles topped the ranking with 68 points, followed by Cape Verde with 62, Botswana 58, and Rwanda 58.
Other countries ahead of Nigeria include Mauritius, Namibia, Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, and Egypt. Nigeria shares its 142nd position with Cameroon, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, Guatemala, and Papua New Guinea.
In an assessment report, Transparency International warned that corruption remains a serious global threat, fueled by declining political will, weakening democratic institutions, and lack of decisive leadership.
“We’re seeing a concerning picture of long-term decline in leadership to tackle corruption,” the Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International, Maíra Martini said in a statement on Tuesday.
“At a time of climate crisis, instability, and polarisation, the world needs accountable leaders and independent institutions to protect the public interest—yet, too often, they are falling short.”
The good governance advocacy group noted that 148 countries have either stagnated or worsened since 2012, while only 32 countries have significantly reduced corruption. It warned that corruption diverts resources from essential services, undermines climate action, and undermines human rights across the world.
