Corruption is a destructive force that can hinder a nation’s progress if it is not tackled head-on with the political will. There is a widespread belief among Nigerians that corruption is the main obstacle to the country’s development, permeating almost every aspect of society with no end in sight.
The most effective approach to combating corruption is prevention, rather than the traditional method of waiting for a crime to be committed and then arrested and prosecuted. This traditional process is time-consuming, costly, and even potentially damaging to the economy. The first step in addressing corruption in Nigeria is to create a conducive working environment that deters public servants from engaging in corrupt practices, before introducing artificial intelligence (AI) models as a means to prevent corruption.
In order to create a comfortable working environment for civil servants, it is necessary to comprehensively review the structure of salaries and benefits. First of all, a civil servant’s salary must be sufficient to cover basic living expenses. A well-structured pay structure should ensure that no more than 30 percent of an employee’s income is spent on food, leaving enough for other necessities and long-term savings. This reduces the financial burden on civil servants and minimizes the temptation to engage in corruption to supplement their income.
Additionally, housing benefits need to be improved to address the country’s current housing shortage. Public servants should have access to affordable housing through government subsidy schemes and rent-to-purchase agreements, and public services at all levels should ensure that homeownership is achieved.
Currently, the housing scheme requires civil servants to pay N9 million with a down payment of 10 to 30 percent depending on the category of housing, which is unrealistic for those with a monthly income of less than N300,000. be. We need to introduce more affordable housing solutions, such as rental programs with reasonable repayment terms. This will not only address the housing shortage, but also allow public officials to ensure stable living conditions without resorting to corrupt means.
Education is also an important area in need of policy reform. The government should introduce subsidies and payment subsidies for the education expenses of children of public servants, depending on whether the education is public or private. This would help ease the cost of tuition, especially for low-income workers.
Ensuring that the children of public servants receive a quality education without undue financial pressure will boost morale, reduce economic insecurity, and lead to rejection of bribery and corrupt practices. Medical care for civil servants also needs significant improvement. Although Nigeria provides health insurance to government employees, the medical infrastructure is severely underfunded and lacks modern equipment.
Upgrading hospitals with state-of-the-art medical equipment and ensuring adequate salaries for medical workers would reduce the need for civil servants and the ruling class to seek treatment abroad. This investment in community health also acts as a vote of confidence in the country’s health system, promoting trust and use of the country’s health services by all citizens.
Therefore, there is no need to be corrupt to earn illegal funds for overseas medical travel. Regarding car ownership, civil servants should be able to easily acquire a car through an affordable hire purchase scheme. Currently, car ownership remains out of reach for the majority due to unrealistic salaries and financial pressures.
By providing accessible financing options, governments can improve the quality of life of civil servants and make travel more convenient and efficient. This will also reduce the prevalence of bribes for car ownership.
Finally, the retirement benefit system needs to be restructured. Retirement plans should be robust and efficient, ensuring that the final pension is paid one month before the employee retires. This ensures that pensions are paid immediately after retirement, based on the employee’s last salary.
A reliable retirement plan provides financial security and reduces the sense of hopelessness that often leads to corrupt behavior towards the end of a career. Once these structural changes are implemented, the civil service environment will encourage a culture of accountability that curbs corruption and targets only a small number of repeat offenders. I have had the opportunity to work in two different countries, and the friendly working environment for civil servants has greatly contributed to the fight against corruption.
It is reported that over 90 percent of corruption cases in Nigeria are committed through contracting and procurement processes. According to Pulse, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed that over N2.9 trillion was lost to contract fraud during the solo administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Combined with losses incurred by the previous government dating back to 1999, this number could swell to enormous amounts, large enough to transform Nigeria’s infrastructure and economy.
With such resources, the country could rebuild to a level comparable to major global economies such as the United States and China. This highlights the immense impact of corruption on Nigeria’s development and the critical need for strong countermeasures, including the use of AI, to protect the integrity of procurement processes.
Fraud in the contracting process often involves bribery, collusion, or bid manipulation. AI can help by analyzing large datasets of procurement transactions, identifying patterns of fraud, and flagging suspicious activity. This has been successful in many countries, such as the Brazilian government using AI to prevent fraud in public procurement.
The AI system, known as “Alice,” monitors the bidding process by examining bidding patterns and supplier behavior across multiple projects. The system compares historical bidding data and identifies discrepancies that could indicate collusion, such as unusually low bids or repeat winners. By automating these checks, Alice helps auditors and regulators prevent and investigate potential fraud early on, thereby minimizing corruption in the contracting process.
The AI system “Alice” is explainable. This means you can clearly articulate your decision-making process and justify your final conclusions regarding suspected contract fraud. This transparency allows investigators to understand the reasons behind reported fraud. It is recommended that the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), EFCC and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) work together to implement such AI systems with real-time monitoring terminals in all relevant agencies. This allows real-time monitoring of contracts across different agencies simultaneously, preventing bid fraud and ensuring transparency throughout the procurement process.
By prioritizing prevention and leveraging AI technology, Nigeria can tackle corruption at its root and create a more transparent and accountable governance system.
Chiroma is Asst. Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Hafr Al Batin University, Saudi Arabia (email protected)
