\n\nNigeria’s global standing in the fight against corruption worsened in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released this week, with the country slipping from 140th to 142nd position among 182 nations, according to Transparency International. 
With a score of 26 out of 100, Nigeria’s performance remained unchanged from the previous year but fell behind 33 African countries, highlighting persistent challenges in public sector integrity and governance in Africa’s most populous nation. 
The index, which measures perceived levels of corruption on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), also shows that the global average has dropped to 42, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. Transparency International’s 2025 report reflects stagnation in anti-graft efforts and warns of weakened political will in several nations. 
Among African countries, Seychelles topped the CPI, followed by Cabo Verde, Botswana, and Rwanda, all scoring significantly higher than Nigeria. Other nations outperforming Nigeria include Mauritius, Namibia, Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, and Egypt. 
Nigeria shares its 142nd ranking with Cameroon, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, Guatemala, and Papua New Guinea — underscoring the depth of governance concerns despite high-profile anti-corruption prosecutions and asset recovery efforts in recent years. 
Transparency International noted that although some countries have made progress, the majority have seen either stagnation or deterioration in anti-corruption performance. The organisation emphasised that entrenched corruption undermines public trust, diverts resources from essential services, and weakens democratic institutions.
