Nigeria's Public Sector Governance in Crisis, Says CIoD

The Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria has sounded the alarm over the state of public sector governance in the country, describing it as a national emergency. In its bi-annual report, the CIoD painted a grim picture of Nigeria's governance landscape, citing the country's poor performance in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index. With a score of 26 percent, Nigeria ranked 142 out of 182 countries, below the Sub-Saharan African average. The report identified internal control failures as a common thread in Nigeria's governance environment, citing examples of banking fraud and ransomware attacks on government agencies. The CIoD's President/Chairman of Council, Mr. Adetunji Oyebanji, noted that the report is an objective assessment of Nigeria's current standing, drawing on extensive research and credible global, regional, and national sources. He emphasized that the country is experiencing a paradox, where the legislative and regulatory architecture is tightening, but actual implementation and enforcement remain fragmented. The Director General of CIoD, Dr. Taiwo Nolas-Alausa, said that the findings reveal both encouraging progress and pressing challenges, and that addressing these challenges requires stronger leadership, greater institutional commitment, and sustained collaboration across government, business, regulators, civil society, and the media.