Corruption Think Piece

Corruption is a dangerous societal disease, more dangerous than cancer or HIV/AIDS is to human beings (Akintude 2001). The level of corruption has gone so high in Nigeria that corrupt practices have been blamed for the instability of successive governments in Nigeria since the first republic (Obasanjo 2000). Thus, between 1960 and 1966, the period immediately after independence, corrupt practices were gradually planted into the Nigerian society. Between 1966 and 1979, the generals of the first military incursion nurtured it to full-grown status. The civilians between 1979 and 1983 watered it and it started to blossom. Finally, the military generals between 1983 and 1999 institutionalized it and made it a way of life, to the extent that Nigeria earned the reputation of being the second most corrupt nation in the world.

At present, Nigeria is steep with corruption and it has affected every facet of the nation's life. One of the aftermaths of corruption is the raising of the cost of construction to an embarrassing level. The prevalence of poor precontract planning, inept/incompetent contractors, incompetent consultants/ professional advisers, fraud, poor project funding/delayed payments, late appointment of relevant professionals, nonapplication of due process in contract awards, hasty preparation/award/execution of projects, adverse market forces/inconsistent government policies, design inadequacies, choice of contractual arrangement/form of contact, and inflation have been identified as the causal factors responsible for the very high cost of construction in Nigeria (NIQS 2003).

Alutu, O. E., & Udhawuve, M. L. (2009). Unethical Practices