The battle against corruption must be fought on multiple fronts, and at this stage, the emphasis must shift toward changing values through soft anti-corruption institutions. Hard agencies like the EFCC and ICPC will always be necessary, but they alone cannot dismantle a culture that rewards corruption. Nigeria must prioritise social, educational, and cultural interventions that challenge the very foundation of corrupt practices.
Nigeria’s fight against corruption has been spearheaded by law enforcement agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and civil society organisations, over the past two decades. However, despite decades of legal battles, high-profile arrests, and iterative policy initiatives, corruption continues to evolve, embedding itself deeply within the fabric of society. The problem is not merely a lack of enforcement, but values disconnect — a shift in social norms that creates a fundamental misalignment between the ethical principles that should underpin anticorruption efforts and the popular culture and attitudes that shape behaviour.
Understanding the Values Disconnect
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At its core, a society that is corruption free or where corruption is controlled, celebrates and endorses values such as contentment, modesty, dignity in labour, humility, and integrity, service orientation, respect for authority, and equity. A society that upholds these virtues inherently stands a better chance of resisting the corrosive effects of corruption. However, the Nigerian reality presents a stark contradiction; in the most simplistic yet common example of this disconnects, individuals who acquire lavish lifestyles through unexplained wealth, whether in the public or private sector, are often celebrated, rather than questioned. This creates a dangerous paradox where, even as anticorruption agencies work to prosecute offenders, the broader society idolises the very symbols of corruption.
The values disconnect means that legal enforcement alone cannot effectively tackle corruption. If the society at large continues to applaud material excesses and questionable wealth, then corruption will persist regardless of how many individuals are prosecuted. To truly combat corruption, we need a shift in societal values, which can only be driven by understanding the contribution of the soft anticorruption institutions to shaping popular culture.
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The Social Norms and Accountability Governance (SNAG) programme initiated by Chatham Houses’ Africa Programme over the last few years, sought to develop context-specific solutions to corruption by understanding the underlying social norms that perpetuate it. The very well-resourced teams initiated several layers of collaborative research studies to understand the social drivers of corruption, especially in contexts where formal institutions may be weak, such as informal rules and shared beliefs that shaped behaviour. The disconnection between the values we want to see, and the values embedded in popular societal culture is evident in some of the data from the most recently published SNAG report, where it is shown that up five in 10 people in Nigeria will take advantage of their neighbours to control scarce resources, but seven in 10 people will feel bad when people are taken advantage of. Moving from feeling bad to feeling and becoming responsible for protecting the rights of fellow citizens, is the first step in achieving alignment in between the values of popular culture and the values that underpin a corruption-controlled/free society.
Hard Versus Soft Anti-Corruption Institutions: Understanding the Roles
The hard anti-corruption institutions such as the EFCC, ICPC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau play a critical role in law enforcement and regulatory compliance. They investigate fraud, prosecute offenders, and attempt to deter corrupt practices through the threat of legal consequences. However, these institutions are not equipped to address deep-rooted cultural acceptance of corruption, even within the institutions themselves. The SNAG research highlighted an entrenched pyramid of corruption that is very well known, where bribes are extorted from citizens by the “rank and file” officers from citizens and passed up the chain of command. Compliance with the age-old extortionist scheme is rewarded and noncompliance is punished. At best, even with this fundamental weakness these institutions they can punish individuals, but they cannot change the underlying values that drive corruption in the society, of which they also are victims because their welfare and career opportunities are compromised without recourse, due to corruption.
This is where soft anti-corruption institutions become essential. These institutions do not wield legal power, but they have immense influence over societal attitudes, behaviours, and moral standards. They include:
- Schools: Education systems shape the mindset of young Nigerians, instilling values of integrity and hard work from an early age.
- Religious Institutions: Churches, mosques, and other faith-based organisations wield significant moral authority and can reinforce messages of ethical leadership and modest living.
- Social media and Influencer Platforms: In the digital age, social media influencers, bloggers, and content creators shape public opinion. These platforms can be leveraged to promote transparency and ethical success stories, rather than material excess.
- Entertainment Industry (Nollywood, Music, etc.): The Nigerian film and music industries play a vital role in setting societal norms. Instead of glorifying corruption and fast wealth, they can redefine what is aspirational by celebrating characters who exemplify integrity.
- Investors and Incentives Management Institutions: Investment firms, donor organisations, and international financial bodies can influence business practices by prioritising transparency and accountability in their funding and partnerships. An excellent example of investors using their soft power tactfully to build a corruption free Nigeria, is by leveraging Ethics First, a multistakeholder initiative launched by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) to connect investors and larger companies with small and mid-sized enterprises with shared values of integrity and accountability.
Why Soft Institutions Must Take the Lead
At this stage of corruption proliferation in Nigeria, hard anti-corruption agencies alone cannot win this battle and yet there is the war ahead – reforming institions. While they can continue to investigate and prosecute cases, their impact remains limited because they do not change the society’s perception of wealth and success. In contrast, soft anti-corruption institutions are uniquely positioned to reshape cultural narratives and shift public perception.
Imagine a Nigeria where:
- Schools teach young people that true success comes from diligence and innovation, not shortcuts and political connections.
- Religious leaders refuse to honour individuals with unexplained wealth, emphasising integrity over materialism.
- Social media influencers promote ethical entrepreneurship, excellence, and integrity much more than glorifying unexplained luxury and excess in a country where majority of citizens live below the poverty line.
- Nollywood creates movies that are thought-provoking and espouse the values that should build society up, where the hero is an honest civil servant or entrepreneur.
- Investors prioritise funding for businesses that demonstrate accountability and sustainability, thereby discouraging financial opacity.
This cultural shift is the missing piece in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts. Until society stops idolising wealth without accountability, corruption will remain an unspoken but accepted norm.
Conclusion: Rethinking Anti-Corruption Strategy
The battle against corruption must be fought on multiple fronts, and at this stage, the emphasis must shift toward changing values through soft anti-corruption institutions. Hard agencies like the EFCC and ICPC will always be necessary, but they alone cannot dismantle a culture that rewards corruption. Nigeria must prioritise social, educational, and cultural interventions that challenge the very foundation of corrupt practices.
The real question is: Are we ready to stop celebrating ill-gotten wealth and start rewarding integrity? Only when this shift occurs can Nigeria achieve sustainable progress in its anti-corruption fight. The time to empower soft anti-corruption institutions is now.
