ABUJA, — Nigeria has slipped to 142nd out of 182 countries in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), down from 140th in 2024, even though its score remained unchanged at 26/100. The latest ranking keeps Nigeria in the same score band as Cameroon, Guatemala, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan and Papua New Guinea, all on 26 points, indicating continued weakness in perceptions of public-sector integrity rather than any measurable improvement
At the top of the index, Denmark remained the best performer with 89 points, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). At the bottom were South Sudan and Somalia, with Venezuela also among the poorest performers globally. Transparency International said the 2025 CPI reflects a broader global decline in anti-corruption effectiveness. The organization reported a global average score of 42, describing it as the lowest level in more than a decade, with over two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.
For Nigeria, the movement from 140th to 142nd despite a stable score is largely explained by relative shifts elsewhere: when peer countries improve slightly or new countries are added to the ranking universe (182 this year), a country can fall in position without changing its own score. Regionally, no African country made the global top 10. However, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Botswana were among the continent’s strongest performers in 2025, showing that progress remains possible with sustained institutional reform.
TI leadership linked weak scores worldwide to shrinking civic space, weaker checks and balances, and risks to public-service delivery — from health systems to infrastructure protection. For Nigeria, governance analysts say the ranking underscores persistent concerns around accountability, enforcement consistency and public trust in institutions, especially amid economic strain.
The CPI is perception-based rather than a count of proven corruption cases, but it remains one of the most closely watched indicators used by investors, civil society and multilateral institutions to assess governance risk.
