Cosy networks foster seemingly unbreakable corruption at Lagos airport
Lagos — Large billboards at Lagos airport urge travellers to call a hotline to report officials asking for bribes. But there is a problem with this attempt to fight the corruption that plagues Africa’s biggest economy. The phone number does not work, an indication of how little progress President Muhammadu Buhari has made in tackling a problem he promised to address when he was elected two years ago. The government has fired customs and immigration officers accused of corruption, introduced staff rotation at passport and customs desks at Lagos airport to disrupt cosy networks, and set up the phone number to report demands for bribes. That did not end a decades-long culture of corruption at the main gateway to Nigeria. But it did make officers more cautious as colleagues got fired, airport workers say. But airlines and cargo firms say the fight against corruption has since faltered and government work has slowed while Buhari has been on and off sick leave since January. On Sunday, th...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.