This paper examined the extent to which corruption pose a challenge and weigh down national security and development in Nigeria with various manifestations. The prevalence of corruption challenges in Nigeria is highly pervasive by undermining the nation''s social, economic and political development. Corruption has unfavourable consequences on investment, growth, security and national development. Thus, weakening the institutional foundation on which all policies are made and implemented and making it detrimental to the sustainable development of the country. Therefore, this study examines the causes, manifestations, and implications of corruption on national development in Nigeria. The study is qualitative in nature; it makes use of secondary sources of data in discussing challenges of corruption to national security and development in Nigeria by consulting the literature on corruption. Among others, the study recommended that moral values should be inculcated among citizens of Nigeria, the citizens should be provided with more enlightenment programmes on consequences of corruption. It further recommends that the anti-corruption law and institutions be reformed in order to strengthen their responses in treating corrupt cases easily for socio-economic and political development of the country for sustainable development in Nigeria. Provisions of basic amenities for the citizens are important in the fight against corruption.
CORRUPTION AS A CHALLENGE TO NATIONAL SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA PhD Candidate SULEIMAN, M.S Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand mohammedsaeedsuleiman@gmail.com mohammedsaeedsuleiman@fugashua.edu.ng Abstract This paper examined the extent to which corruption pose a challenge and weigh down national security and development in Nigeria with various manifestations The prevalence of corruption challenges in Nigeria is highly pervasive by undermining the nation's social, economic and political development Corruption has unfavourable consequences on investment, growth, security and national development Thus, weakening the institutional foundation on which all policies are made and implemented and making it detrimental to the sustainable development of the country Therefore, this study examines the causes, manifestations, and implications of corruption on national development in Nigeria The study is qualitative in nature; it makes use of secondary sources of data in discussing challenges of corruption to national security and development in Nigeria by consulting the literature on corruption Among others, the study recommended that moral values should be inculcated among citizens of Nigeria, the citizens should be provided with more enlightenment programmes on consequences of corruption It further recommends that the anti-corruption law and institutions be reformed in order to strengthen their responses in treating corrupt cases easily for socio-economic and political development of the country for sustainable development in Nigeria Provisions of basic amenities for the citizens are important in the fight against corruption Keywords; Corruption, Development, National Security, Nigeria Introduction Nigeria is commonly referred to as the giant of Africa due to her numerical strength of being the largest country in Africa in terms of population It is Africa's most populous nation However, Nigeria as a nation is on daily basis suffering from an increase of activities that are intimidating and endangering its existence such as corruption, Boko-haram insurgency, kidnapping, drug abuse, armed bandit, human trafficking, youth militancy, political crises, ethnoreligious violence, and Fulani herdsmen and farmers crises among others It can be observed that corruption is an extensively recognized globally as a social phenomenon that is a threat to the sustainable development of any nation or civilization Corruption as a challenge posed a serious threat to national development Countries with the higher prevalence of corruption have lower levels of development and countries 403 with the lower rate of corruption have high economic growth and development as well as functioning government Meanwhile, corruption has become one of the major social problems in Nigeria; it is happening in both the private and public sectors which undesirable consequences on the social, economic and political development of the nation It is a fact that corruption threatens the fundamental principles of the Nigerian polity, even the security challenges in the country has been linked to the corruption that has led to poor governance Corruption is widely spread in Nigeria, taking different forms such as contracts inflation, falsification of financial records embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds, extortion, bribery, nepotism, influence peddling, payment for favourable judgement among others (Omode, 2011; Adebayo, 2013; Ene, Arikpo, Jeffrey and Albert, 2013) It is observed that a whopping $50 billion is lost annually to corruption and illicit financial flaws in the continent of Africa (Moussa, 2018) Nigeria is seen as one of the most corrupt nations in the world according to Transparency International In addition, it is pointed out that corruption is used to acquired and sustain political mandate in Nigeria, causing heinous consequences of mass abject poverty, high rate of unemployment, political instability It is pragmatic that corruption remains the major obstacle to alleviating extreme poverty and plunks the path of progress towards national development such as impede law enforcement and judicial processes leading to poor performance, limiting the ability of citizen abilities to access job and other social benefits among others (Ijereweme and Dumade, 2014 and Okolo; and Akpokigbe, 2014) Nigeria is seen as one of the most corrupt nations in the world Therefore, it is pertinent to note that corruption has slow down the national development in Nigeria and it is detrimental to sustainable development because of its adverse consequences on socioeconomic and political development Thus, this study examines the extent to which corruption as a challenge that obstructs the national security and development in Nigeria and its implications for sustainable development Methods This research utilized secondary sources of data in discussing corruption as a challenge to national security and development in Nigeria The sources of data were from textbooks, journals and newspapers focusing on corruption, national security, and development Conceptualization of Key Terms 3.1 Corruption Corruption is view as a multi-dimensional concept and it has been described or defined by many scholars in different ways Adegboyega (1996), posits that corruption is any decision, act or conduct undermining the effectiveness in performing assigned roles or threaten the integrity of people, authority or institutions in possession of promoting, defending, or sustaining the democratization process Ngwube and Okoli (2013) assert that corruption is an unlawful, dishonest, and wicked behaviour which is vicious to the moral fabric of the society such as bribery, contracts inflation, kickback and payment upfront, lodging government fund in 404 personal account, selling of hazardous drugs, adulterations of foods or drinks, proxy name to purchase property, embezzlement or misappropriation of public fund Similarly, Saliu and Aremu (2004) and Odeh (2008) respectively put forward that corruption comprises of acts that are likely to diminish the capacity of any nation or state to meet its required material and welfare obligations to its people and corruption erode efficiency and professionalism In view of the above descriptions, corruption exists in different forms in every society and it is the violation of any established or existing rules for selfish gain or reason and detrimental to national development and sustainable development 3.2 Development The concept of development is equally a multi-dimensional perceived among scholars Akwara (2013) and Desai and Potter (2014) view development as the obvious position in the advancement of human capital, economic and social upliftment which are capable of increasing manpower, decent housing, easy transportation, well-organized and successful health care system, a high level of social cohesion and above all unhindered access to wealth generation activities Imobighe (2014) described development as socio-political and economic advancement It is the process of change in state of affairs from lower to higher level In the same way, development is the provision of basic needs that ensure a better living condition such as health facilities, clothing, shelter, food and basic education In addition, development is the ability of a country or nation to improve the standard of living of its people through the provision of social amenities like safe portable water, good qualitative education, healthcare services, good roads, housing (Okolo,2014) and Imhonopi and Urim, 2013) It is important to note that lack of these basic necessities of life indicates absolute nonexistence of development and apparent existence of poverty because development entails all the basic needs or necessities of life that ensure ease of the people in any given civilization and it must be provided at all levels of the societies irrespective of ethnic, religious, political, economic and socio-cultural affiliations in order to make it national development 3.3 National Security One of the cardinal functions of the government in any society is the provision of security for its citizens through protection of lives and property Security is care and safety of lives and property National security is can be observed as the protection of a state from both internal and external aggression It is seen further than territorial guard but rather it should be particular in terms of people that live within that particular nation Equally, national security can be expressed as the ability of a state to overcome any of its internal or external challenges It is further described as the provision of the security-based interest by individuals, groups, and institutions with the objective of preventing the territory of the nation or country (Dambazau, 2007; Umo, 2007; Magaji, 2011 and Okolo, 2014) It is important to reiterate that protection of lives and property against either internal or external aggression cannot be undermined because aggressions of what so ever or at 405 whatever level sham serious threat to the national security of nation's socio-economic and political development and it can be clearly observed in Nigeria at present due to various forms of violence or insurgencies that are occurring such as Boko-haram, kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking, youth militancy, political crises, ethnoreligious violence, and Fulani herdsmen and farmers crises among others Causes and Manifestations of Corruption in Nigeria Several factors have been advanced as causes of corruption as a social phenomenon in Nigeria Corruption exists in both private and public sectors in Nigeria and some of the reasons put forward as possible causes of corruption in Nigeria are multifaceted in nature The basis of corruption could be traced to the culture of the strange value system in the Nigerian the society due to the depreciated culture and weak value system where people think it not important to be law-abiding, honest, discipline and hardworking (Anyadike, 2013; Ijewereme and Dunmade, 2014; and Adeyemi, 2016) Furthermore, poverty is another factor causing corruption in Nigeria, people have a strong phobia for it and its manifestation have adverse consequences on individual's life because the majority of the citizens have relatively low economic opportunities and this economic hardship push them to corruption because they want to meet up with basic necessities' of life Greed and flamboyant lifestyle equally contribute to corruption, in a situation where people for more wealth and live an extravagant life in order to impress or oppressed people Meanwhile, lack of the political will of the government to enforce anti-corruption laws has led to increasing sharp corrupt practices, people are hardly held accountable for their responsibilities either in private or public sector In addition, in the analysis of anti-graft or anti-corruption agencies performances, they have become toothless bulldogs that can only bark but cannot bite (Lipset and Lenz, 2000; Ulu, 2009; Oyinola, 2011; and Imhonopi and Urim, 2013) Similarly, Unequal distribution of resources is another factor, in a situation when the existing resources of the state are not prudently distributed among its citizens Also, there is a high cost of living with low welfare services for the citizens and has led to corruption in order to have alternative means of livelihoods or sustenance (Lotterman, 2002; Ngwube and Okoli; 2013) Therefore, it can be observed that corruption have serious manifestations to individuals and government because it affects every aspect of life and every sector of the nation Corruption in Nigeria has different kinds of unappealing and grubby costume Corruption has taken the code of conducts in both private and public sectors Corruption has manifested in the political system of the nation by taking different dimensions such as embezzlement or misappropriation of public fund, bribery, rituals, rigging of elections, violation of oath of office, among others Corruption is perceived as a normal phenomenon in the political arena in Nigeria It has also manifested in the activities of the security agencies like engaging in financial squander among the high ranking officers and the junior officers engage in extorting of money from road users and innocent citizens In the area of sports, there been accusing fingers on the officials of collecting bribe from the players, therefore, players are not selected on merit except on extorting money and god-fatherism from them leading to indiscipline on the part of players Many 406 Nigerians especially the younger people engage in the corrupt practice of internet fraud by scamming people using illegal means like hosting a website online and claim to be giving jobs to people and scam anyone that fall victim of their deception They equally hack people's email, bank account among others and their victims have not limited to Nigerians alone other nationalities are victims of this incident (Oluwashina, 2013; Okolo, 2014; Tyoyila and Sunday, 2015; Adeyemi, 2016; and Storey Report, 2016) Thus, corruption has become cancer that has eaten deep into the national structures of Nigeria with negative consequences on the socio-economic and political development and by implication; it has weakened the entire structures of the society Implications of Corruption on Development and National Security It can be observed that corruption has inflicted suffering on many Nigerians Corruption has done a lot of damages to the Nigerian nation as well as having serious adverse consequences on the environment as well as on the development and national security Thus, corruption is of no doubt a threat to development and national security in any given environment that is found like Nigeria because it has is established that corruption has led to emergence of the different forms of insurgencies and others social vices that are occurring such as Boko Haram, Niger Delta militancy, Fulani herdsmen - Farmers crisis, kidnapping, rape, armed-robbery just to mention few causing serious loss of life and property which has negative consequences on the environment as well as development and national security The various studies on the corruption-related phenomenon in Nigeria show that corruption has led to the exhaustion of the natural resources which in addition it has also led to the fall in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a result of misappropriation and embezzlement of the public fund It has also shown the way of poor governance and failure of providing the basic needs of life for the citizens, increased in the unemployment rate and poverty making citizens prone to corrupt practices as alternative means of living or surviving in the environment Furthermore, corrupt practices have negative impacts on the development and national security such as low domestic and foreign investment due to corrupt practices which induce bureaucratic and other obstacles, leakages of the national assets to other nations due to money laundering, diversion of both domestic fund and foreign aids meant for development and national security In the oil sector, for instance, corruption is the order of the day, refineries are deliberately grounded not to function in order to continue import oil for daily usage and government continue to pay subsidies that never benefit the masses except the cabals in the country In addition to implications of corruption in Nigeria is the educational sector which has gotten its own share of the corruption, from primary to tertiary institutions is the misappropriation and embezzlement of fund for projects among those that the helm of affairs internally and externally, issues of examination malpractices has become the bane of Nigerian society, sexual harassment as well as extortion of money from students by teachers or lecturers among others Similarly, the health sector is not left out in the corruption saga in Nigeria, drugs meant for patients free are sold, some of the health workers hardly report to work, come late or close from work earlier than expected, equally, money is extorted from patients and their family members (Ulu, 2009; Muhammed, 2013; Okolo and Akpokigbe, 2014; Onimisi, 2014; and Adeyemi, 2016) 407 Meanwhile, corruption has endanger the national security in Nigeria because the causes of the various forms of insurgencies and other social vices in Nigeria such as Boko Haram, youth militancy, ethnoreligious violence, political crises, kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking and Fulani herdsmen and farmers crises among others causing destruction of lives and property as well as devastating the environment are all traced to corruption and poor governance, money meant for protection of lives, property, and environment are diverted by the government officials for their personal uses It is also noted that the security agencies are not well-equipped, making it so difficult for them to curtail most of the insurgencies that are persistently occurring in the country which by implication a lot human and capital resources are destroyed, the environment is polluted and Nigerian society is still counting its losses In addition, recruitment, posting, and promotion of security officers are not done on merit thereby weakened the performances of the security personnel in Nigeria In the same way, among the corrupt practices that is also noticeable in the activities of the security in Nigeria are engaging in financial misappropriation among the high ranking officers and the junior officers engage in extorting of money from road users and other innocent citizens which has negative consequences on the national security of the national (Aliyu, 2012; Anyadike, 2013; Muhammed, 2013; Radda, 2013; and Okolo, 2014) Therefore, there is no doubt that the threat and pervasiveness of corruption to development and national security cannot be undermined because it persists in every sector in the country and there is need to fight this social menace called corruption in order to have conducive environment through which Nigeria as a nation can attain development and restore national security of the Nigerian state for sustainable development It can be established that due to corrupt practices in Nigeria that have caused high rate of poverty and unemployment making life difficulty of the citizens, some of the young people have create alternative ways of making money such as vandalization of oil pipeline and oil bunkering, smuggling, among others causing pollution of the environment and having adverse effect on the development and national security of the nation Conclusion This study concludes that corruption is a social phenomenon that is found ubiquitously either termed developed or undeveloped, but nature, causes, and functions may differ from nation to nation Thus, corruption is found in Nigeria, resources meant for development and national security for sustainable development have been embezzled and misappropriated making corruption to slow down the phase of development in Nigeria and it has equally impacted on the national security negatively due to high unemployment and poverty rate pushing citizens to commit or engage in series of crimes such as boko-haram insurgency, kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking, youth militancy, political crises, ethno-religious violence, and Fulani herdsmen and farmers crises causing lost of lives and property which has negative consequences on the environment It is observed that some of the government officials in Nigeria are richer than the state due to their corrupt practices Resources meant for development and national security for sustainable development have been embezzled and misappropriated Therefore, provision of social welfare packages for the citizens is vital for the struggle against corruption 408 Recommendations This study recommends that moral values should be inculcated among citizens of Nigeria, the citizens should be provided with more enlightenment programmes on consequences of corruption on the development and nation security of the country It further recommends that the anti-corruption law and institutions be reformed in order to strengthen their responses in treating corrupt cases easily for socio-economic and political development of the country for sustainable development in Nigeria In addition, the government must ensure strict adherence to the code of conduct principles and avoid favouritism in handling the cases of corruption Honest citizens should be recognized and be given traditional titles, national and international honours In addition, provisions of basic amenities for the citizens are important tools in the fight against corruption References Anyadike, N.O (2013) Boko Haram and National Security Challenges in Nigeria: Causes and 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Publication, Nigeria Akwara, A. F., Udaw, J.E and Onimawo, J (2013) National Identity, Integration and Question: Implications for National Security and Stable Democratic Governance in Nigeria International... violence, and Fulani herdsmen and farmers crises among others Causes and Manifestations of Corruption in Nigeria Several factors have been advanced as causes of corruption as a social phenomenon in Nigeria