An appraisal of the legal and institutional framework for combating corruption in Nigeria

Purpose - To examine the adequacy or otherwise of the existing legal and institutional mechanisms for combating corruption in Nigeria and suggest useful strategies for achieving this. Design/methodology/approach - The pre‐existing statutory enactments, the Criminal and Penal Codes governing corruption in Nigeria were examined to assess their effectiveness in dealing with the crime of corruption. In addition, the two main enactments under the present civilian administration dealing with corruption, namely, the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000 and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004 were also X‐rayed. Findings - It was found that the earlier statutory enactments have proved ineffective in combating corruption in contemporary Nigeria, hence the enactment of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000 and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004, with the objective of dealing with various aspects of corruption. Practical implications - The implication of this finding is that to be effective, legislative measures to tackle corruption must take cognizance of the multifarious nature of the menace coupled with the requisite political will to enforce the provisions of such statutory enactments. Originality/value - The paper demonstrates the great benefit of the use of additional legislative measures in tackling corruption in Nigeria. It suggests the strengthening of these mechanisms and a re‐orientation of social values as the best strategy for dealing with the corruption virus in the country.