TUGAR Presents 6-Year Review of TI-CPI Assessments of Nigeria

Bennett Oghifo

The Technical Unit on Governance, and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), has urged the government, anti-corruption agencies and other critical stakeholders to digest the Report of the Review of six years (2019-2024) of Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TI-CPI) Assessments of Nigeria.

This is with the hope that it would provide a better understanding of the Corruption Perception Index in the country and help identify elements of the assessment that may provide an opportunity for remedial action and support the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2022 –2026.

The Head, Technical Unit on Governance, and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Mrs. Jane Onwumere, stated this in her welcome remarks during the Public Presentation of the report aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability and improving Nigeria’s ranking on the Index.

The report’s presentation, which was held in Abuja, recently, had representatives from all the anti-corruption agencies, including Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau; the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji; the Chairman, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede; the Auditor General of the FCCA, Mr. Shaakaa Kanyetor; Hon Prince Kayode Masha, representing Chairman House commons, Anti-corruptions; and AIG Okon O. Effiong, Special Protection Unit Representative of the Inspector General of Police, among other stakeholders and distinguished personalities. TUGAR is a research, monitoring and evaluation unit setup to respond to the critical need for a rigorous approach to policy-making grounded on empirical data collection and analysis; and in-depth country specific diagnostics on corruption and related governance issues.

The initiative is part of the federal government’s policy to design country specific strategies to monitor and evaluate anticorruption and other governance initiatives, and to implement corrective actions as needed. Global experience has shown that timely and periodic generation and dissemination of data and information are key elements of building capacity, enabling reforms and ensuring transparent and accountable governance. Empirical information and civil society to mobilise public opinion and effect change.

The TI-CPI is an annual ranking published by Transparency International that assesses the perceived levels of corruption in the public sector across 180 countries and territories. This year, Nigeria was ranked 140 out of 180 countries.

The CPI is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative global measures of corruption, drawing on a variety of data sources, including assessments from organisations like the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, among others. It seeks to measure levels of corruption using 13 independent assessments conducted by 12 global governance institutions.

According Onwemere, represented by Mrs. Bosede Oguntuberu of TUGAR,  “Each country’s score is a combination of at least 3 data sources drawn from the 13 different corruption surveys and assessments.

“The average scores for each country give the perceived corruption score, and serves as an indicator of the level of corruption in the country.  It is important to note that it is an assessment of perceived levels of corruption and not an actual assessment of the effectiveness of the work of the ACAs.”

She said the data sources used to compile the index often cover manifestations of corruption, such as bribery, diversion of public funds, excessive red tape in public sector which could create corruption vulnerability, corruption in appointments in the public service, ability of government to contain corruption in the public sector, state capture, access to information and public reporting, amongst others.

Over the years, she said, there have been divergent views as to whether the CPI assesses the effectiveness of government activities in the fight against corruption.

She added, “Anti-corruption agencies and other key stakeholders are often unable to understand the basis for the scores and ratings, considering achievements and gains made in the fight against corruption.

“Therefore, in 2020, TUGAR commissioned an analysis of the index titled ‘TI-CPI: Does the Index Tell the True Story About Nigeria?’. The analysis unpacked the data sources of the CPI, including the methodology of the research and indicators used.

“The analysis of the CPI was conducted with the specific objective: to review the methodology (which has been critiqued) and identify elements of the assessment that may provide opportunity for remedial action and support the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

“Based on the findings in 2020, TUGAR worked with the Office of the Vice President and was able to link the findings of the analysis with Executive Order 1 on Ease of Doing Business. It was on this basis that the Nigeria Ports Process Manual (NPPM), one of the outputs of the Project Steering Committee on Corruption Risk Assessment in the Nigerian Seaports of which TUGAR serves as the secretariat was launched by the then Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

“Since then, alongside other reforms in the sector, there have been considerable progress in the fight against corruption in the maritime sector. It is hoped that this process will encourage more of such projects in the various areas covered by the Corruption Perception Index and gradually positively impact on Nigeria’s rating.”

The report, she stated, provides some interpretation to the data and acknowledges some reasons for Nigeria’s low scores.

The report also highlights the implications of the scores and makes some recommendations, suggesting short-, mid- and long-term steps that need to be taken by government and other critical stakeholders to ensure a better ranking.