Nigeria Ranked 36th Most Corrupt Country in the World in 2024

Transparency International has ranked Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt country in the world in its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

With a score of 26 out of 100, Nigeria shares this position with Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq, and Cameroon.

Released on Tuesday, February 11, the CPI assesses perceived public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Denmark ranked as the least corrupt nation with a score of 90, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).

No African country made it into the top 10 least corrupt nations, which were largely dominated by European countries. However, Cape Verde emerged as Africa’s least corrupt country, ranking 35th globally with a score of 62.

South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela ranked at the bottom of the list as the most corrupt countries in the 2024 index.

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 highlighted that while 32 countries have made significant progress in reducing corruption levels since 2012, 148 nations have either stagnated or experienced a decline 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.