Corruption And The Challenges Of Infrastructural Development In Developing Countries: Nigeria In Perspective

Abstract

The challenges of infrastructural development in developing countries, particularly Nigeria are daunting. The deficits cover many critical areas of both social and infrastructures such as housing, roads, communication, power and energy  health care among others. The result of this is the low quality of life and living coupled with huge deficit in infrastructures especially in Nigeria, which has been ascribed to corruption. This paper critically reviewed the effects of corruption on infrastructural development in Nigeria. It assessed the situation viz-a-viz analyses of research about infrastructural development in Nigeria and bottlenecks to achieving a good environment for improved quality of life. The paper adopted the library research methodology by content analysis of extant literature. Analysis was done through the use of descriptive method. The key research outcomes revealed that Nigeria has one of the lowest levels of access to improved basic infrastructure anywhere in the world, ranking 162 out of 186 countries. In Africa, Nigeria ranks 32 out of the 54 countries, and among its global middle-income peers. The review further showed that the public infrastructural spending-GDP ratio in Nigeria is low; it oscillated between 1.20% in 2012 to 1.02% in 2017. This public infrastructure-GDP ratio is quite low and very inadequate especially when compared to those of emerging economies like South Africa (20.4%), India (32%) and China (44.4%). Recommendations include: Professional regulatory bodies should properly play their roles in infrastructural projects service delivery; Government and the citizenry should pursue governance; Government should accelerate infrastructural development; Ethical re-orientation and education of the citizenry should be pursued; The Anti-Corruption agencies should be strengthened; The Bureau of Public Procurement should be domesticated in all government ministries, parastatals and agencies. The paper concludes that corruption has not only raised the cost of infrastructure but has also reduced the volume, quality of, durability, and the economic returns from infrastructural development in Nigeria.