Governance, Corruption and Social Infrastructure in Nigeria, 1960–2010

Abstract

There seems to be a strong relationship between the rising incidence in corruption among all sectors of life (public and private) and the failing social infrastructure in Nigeria today. This is justified in the sense that government has failed to provide basic socio-economic infrastructure to its citizenry which means individuals and corporate organisations have to provide for their own services, thus breeding avenues for corruption. Social infrastructures, like healthcare, education, electricity, etc, when available, are grossly inadequate. The only solution is for individuals and organisations to provide alternatives which are very expensive, in an unfriendly economic environment where salaries and wages are very poor which means individuals have to go out of their way (mostly through corrupt means) to provide alternatives like generators, private schools and hospitals. The paper will therefore start by clarification of key concepts, then it will look at the quality and the state of social infrastructure in Nigeria today focusing mainly on healthcare, education and services like water and electricity, from about 1960 to date and explain how these contribute to the increase in the incidence of corruption on the one hand, and how corruption has accelerated the further decay in both governance and social infrastructure in Nigeria. At the end of the discussion attempt will be made to proffer suggestions for the way forward.