Nigeria is one of Africa’s most corrupt countries – Transparency International

Monjola Sotubo 15:42 - 01 December 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari

The list is topped by South Africa and Ghana is also featured along with Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Corruption watchdog, Transparency International (TI) has ranked Nigeria among the most corrupt countries in Africa.

The findings were contained in a report published by TI on Tuesday, December 1, 2015.

According to the report, more than 22 per cent of Africans who came into contact with public service in the past 12 months paid a bribe.

Interviews with 43,143 people in the listed countries also showed that police and courts had the highest corruption rates.

The organization said that police were often paid to “ignore any crime, however horrific and devastating”.

The report reads in part:

“While some people pay bribes to escape punishment for crimes, others are forced to pay to get access to the basic services that they desperately need.

“Nearly 60 per cent of those interviewed said corruption had increased over the past year. That was particularly the case in South Africa, where 83 per cent reported an increase in graft.”

"Corruption creates and increases poverty and exclusion,” Transparency International’s head, Jose Ugaz said in a statement.

The organization’s report also found that people in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Lesotho experienced low levels of corruption.