A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that 117 million bribes are paid in the country annually.
According to an excerpt of the report published by PUNCH on Friday, Nigerians pay bribes equivalent to six per cent of their yearly income.
“In 2019, Nigerian bribe-payers paid an average of six bribes in the 12 months prior to the survey, or one bribe every two months, which is virtually the same as the average of 5.8 bribes paid per bribe-payer in 2016.
“As a result, it is estimated that some 117 million bribes are paid in Nigeria on a yearly basis, the equivalent of 1.1 bribes per adult,” the publication said.
The value of the bribes paid in 2019 amounts to N675bn the research claimed.
The survey carried out by both agencies, found that persons either paid bribes without a demand or public officials actually made the demand.
“More than 93 per cent of all bribes paid in 2019 was paid in cash, a slightly larger share than in 2016. According to the 2019 survey, the average cash bribe paid is N5,754, a sum equivalent to roughly $52 in purchasing power parity.
“Overall, it is estimated that a total of roughly N675bn was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2019, corresponding to 0.52 per cent of the entire Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria.”
