Corruption in Nigeria’s Public Sector Organizations and Its Implications for National Development

Abstract

Corruption which ever dimension has tremendous negative implications for the development and growth of any society. Corruption in the public sector involves the looting and embezzlement of public funds for personal use. On the political dimension, it involves the corrupt manner in which political leaders ascend to positions of authority. Economically, corruption involves the investment of public funds on projects that will line individual pockets rather than benefiting the generality of the populace. On the social dimension, corruption destroys the social system and makes the citizens not to have trust on the political system. The quest for self-preservation has superseded national interest and the absence of national interest manifest in lack of national development in Nigeria. The objective of this paper was to establish the correlation between corruption and national development in Nigeria. Findings revealed that corruption is albatross to national development in Nigeria. As a remedial measure, the paper recommended among others that secondary schools and higher institutions of learning should introduce corruption studies into its curriculum in order to inculcate in the students the act of discipline and educate them on the ills of corrupt practices.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n3s1p27