Nigeria's Corruption Score Stagnates at 26 in 2025 CPI

The 2025 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, in collaboration with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), reveals that Nigeria's corruption score has stagnated at 26 out of 100, reflecting persistent structural failures in the country's governance. Despite efforts to reform and combat corruption, Nigeria's global rank has slipped from 140th to 142nd out of 180 countries.

The CPI does not measure individual corruption cases but rather reflects the prevailing perception of corruption among experts and businesspeople. Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of CISLAC, emphasized that the stagnant score has real implications for investment confidence and public trust in democratic legitimacy.

However, there are noted improvements in asset recovery efforts, with the EFCC recovering 566 billion naira and the ICPC recovering 37.44 billion naira by September 2025. The report also highlights Nigeria's exit from the Financial Action Task Force's grey list, indicating some progress in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks.