In Nigeria, paying a bribe is a quotidian, factored-in expense
Lagos — Almost a third of adult Nigerians pay civil servants and other public officials bribes totaling 400-billion naira ($1.27bn) annually, the country’s statistics office said in a survey on graft. The poll among households shows the uphill challenge the government of President Muhammadu Buhari faces in fighting corruption, which has undermined development in the oil exporter for decades. Nigerians spent 400-billion naira — the equivalent of 39% of the combined federal and state education budget in 2016 — to bribe officials between June 2015 and May 2016, according to the office. The survey, released on Wednesday, does not necessarily include high-profile executive corruption cases, such as the theft of oil revenues, which have made headlines in the past. Instead, it shows that despite government action to put senior officials accused of graft on trial, Nigerians still have to pay every day for basic services, such as dealing with customs or police officers. Buhari took office in...
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