By Clement Abayomi
Corruption has become a “core option” in Nigeria, so much so that the average Nigerian might think that any anti-corruption efforts are just temporary. It is a stubborn national problem that refuses to be evacuated despite decades of reform promises, task forces, panels, probes, and the several, occasional news of arrest.
Under President Bola Tinubu, the fight against corruption has elicited conflicting opinions from Nigerians, government officials, as well as legal professionals. This article articulates published records, official releases, and televised interviews to look into how Nigeria is battling corruption under Tinubu.
One principal aspect of the Tinubu administration’s anti-corruption effort is its move towards systemic economic reforms. Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President, speaking on News Central Tv, explained that the administration’s removal of fuel subsidy and unification of the naira were deliberate anti-corruption strategies. He believes that both sectors have become “areas where we have mega corruption.”
“The administration has been fighting corruption in so many ways through systems and structures. If you remember when the president came in, he removed the fuel subsidy and unified the Naira. These are two areas where we have mega corruption,” he said.
Bwala stated that corruption thrives when personal connections override predictable systems.
“This society cannot deliver on the promise to the people if structures and systems cannot be predicted by all hardworking Nigerians. The minute your success or your progress will depend on somebody rather than the system, then there’s corruption in the system,” he maintained.
The government has been said to be combating corruption by focusing on making things more transparent and accountable. As reported by News Central, in 2025, the Tinubu administration introduced new ways to track government money, including regulations on where stolen money goes and digital systems to monitor funds. These changes are meant to stop officials from siphoning money and make it easier to see where government money is going. Some people believe this will help reduce corruption and make officials more accountable.
However, opposing views from legal practitioners question both the sincerity and effectiveness of these efforts. In a review of Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive on News Central TV, legal practitioner Abdulkareem Musa bluntly stated:
“There’s no war against corruption. If there’s even anything, there’s even an enablement of corruption under this administration.”
He further alleged selective prosecution, arguing that “there are a lot of people [who] have been indicted for several corrupt practices and the EFCC has not gone after them, even for one day.”
“There’s no war against corruption. There is selective prosecution for political benefits and interest. In a general overview, talking about an assessment of whether this government has tackled corruption or is putting any measures in place to fight or battle corruption, I insist that this government has not done anything to fight corruption. They’re in fact enabling corruption,” he emphasised.
Similarly, concerns about selective enforcement are reiterated by public perception data and civil society commentary. A Chatham House survey has claimed that 61 percent of Nigerians still believe judges are likely to accept bribes. This points to persistent distrust in the justice system.
In fact, Deputy Director of SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, told Channels Television that “this government, if you ask me, is not very interested in fighting corruption.” He maintained that at best, the government seeks “to appear to fight corruption but not really fighting corruption”.
More often, institutional contradictions within government-led anti-corruption efforts have also been brought to limelight by members of the legal community. For example, Malachy Ugwummadu, speaking on News Central Tv, argued that corruption indices across Africa show governments themselves as “the greatest culprit”.
“Once the same government commissions and institutes a body to fight that corruption, you cannot maximise the results or the outcomes. That is what I meant by contradiction in having an agency of government fighting corruption,” he said.
He obviously warns here that when the same government establishes agencies to fight corruption, outcomes are structurally limited. In addition, Ugwummadu noted that former President Muhammadu Buhari “enjoyed more perception in relation to the hopes of Nigerians to be able to fight corruption” than Tinubu.
President Tinubu has described corruption as a socio-economic problem that is linked to poverty and lack of basic needs. In a Presidential Media Chat on NTA, Tinubu said: “Corruption in all ramifications is bad”, but noted that there is the need to address why people are corrupt, like lack of social amenities, inadequate funding for education, and poor wages or living conditions. He stated that increasing the minimum wage from N35,000 to N70,000 is a way to fight corruption.
“Pay them good and living wages… to me, that is anti-corruption,” he said.
He also mentioned that there has been transparency as government earnings are released regularly, adding that the EFCC has been discovering inadequacies in the administration.
“I’ve been transparent with my earnings. Every month there is publication as to how much this country is making. Disclosure, ability to stop corruption is part of the instrument of EFCC. That is why they’re discovering all sorts of inefficiencies in the system,” he revealed.
Besides, in a press release from the Presidential Villa dated October 21, 2025, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, announced that the EFCC recorded over 7,000 convictions and recovered more than ₦500 billion in assets within Tinubu’s first two years. These recoveries are said to be channelled into social investment programmes such as the Students Loan and Consumer Credit Schemes.
Also, judicial integrity and capacity-building have been presented as central to sustaining the anti-corruption fight. In the same press release, Tinubu is said to have charged judges to remain “steadfast, impartial, and incorruptible”. This is a message which demands that judges must work in fairness, honesty, and not take bribes. Tinubu, according to the report, noted that if the judiciary gets corrupted, the society breaks down. Besides, in response to public lament that corruption cases are taking too long to be decided, the President insisted that “there is no person or group who can accuse this administration of shielding political actors.” Other important people mentioned, like Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, agreed that everyone should work together to fight corruption, noting that technologies can help track financial crimes.
Ending with, Nigeria’s fight against corruption under Tinubu has two sides. The government is saying the system is being seriously reformed, but people still believe that justice is not fairly served and that political will is weak.
Even though the government points to economic changes, digital tools to track money, court actions, and many corruption convictions, critics still boldly contend that the fight against corruption is not convincing. The question now is whether Nigeria will finally end corruption or allow it to continue.
For More Details, Visit New Daily Prime at www.newdailyprime.news
