Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaigns may falter

Subject

Nigeria's anti-corruption efforts.

Significance

President Muhammadu Buhari announced on December 20 that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) would be reorganised after a corruption scandal involving its former head. The announcement follows multiple reports of alleged corruption and illegal operations, the latest sign of increasing setbacks to Buhari's ostensible anti-corruption drive. Many of the assets recovered by the state’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are currently unaccounted for, while numerous allegations of corruption have been levelled against officials close to Buhari.

Impacts

• The government's attempts to reform the NIA may not increase the agency’s cooperativeness with other security and anti-corruption bodies.
• A 1-billion-dollar fund recently approved by the National Economic Council to counter Boko Haram has raised concerns of possible diversion.
• Efforts to promote national judicial reform have slowed and could lose further momentum before 2019.