In its latest report, Transparency International has ranked Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt country in the world, with a corruption perceptions score of 26.
The ranking, released on Tuesday, places Nigeria alongside Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq, and Cameroon, all sharing the same score.
The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which assesses public sector corruption, ranked Denmark as the least corrupt nation with an impressive score of 90, followed by Finland with 88 points, and Singapore with 84 points. No African country made the top 10 list, which was dominated by European nations.
While Cape Verde was the least corrupt African nation, ranking 35th with 62 points, the report highlighted that South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela are the most corrupt countries globally for the year.
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Francois Valeria, Chair of Transparency International, emphasized the severity of corruption around the world, stating, “The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries.”
He also noted that corruption poses a major threat to climate action, obstructing progress on emission reductions and adaptation to global warming.
The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories based on perceived corruption levels, with scores ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Valeria pointed out that while 32 countries have made significant progress in reducing corruption since 2012, the global situation remains dire, with 148 countries either stagnating or worsening. The global average score of 43 has remained stagnant for years, with over two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.
“Billions of people live in countries where corruption destroys lives and undermines human rights,” Valeria added.
