It has been observed by scholars and commentators that corruption is a major challenge to social, political, and economic development in any country. The consequences of corruption are unfavorable for the progress of any society. Against this backdrop, this article examines the effects of corruption on the economic development of Nigeria. It discusses the sociocultural, political, and economic factors responsible for the endemic nature of corruption in Nigeria and concludes that the “top-to-bottom” corruption in Nigeria has negatively affected the country’s economic development. To change this situation, the leadership must genuinely commit to fighting corruption from the top down; corruption control mechanisms need to be strengthened, the offenders need to be punished, and the citizenry needs to be mobilized to demand transparency and accountability.

中文翻译：

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尼日利亚的政治腐败：对第四共和国经济发展的启示

学者和评论员已经观察到，腐败是任何国家对社会，政治和经济发展的重大挑战。腐败的后果不利于任何社会的进步。在此背景下，本文考察了腐败对尼日利亚经济发展的影响。它讨论了造成尼日利亚腐败流行的社会文化，政治和经济因素，并得出结论认为，尼日利亚的“自上而下”腐败已经对该国的经济发展产生了负面影响。为了改变这种状况，领导层必须真正致力于自上而下地打击腐败。腐败控制机制需要加强，罪犯应受到惩罚，