Ethics and Accountability in Nigeria’s Civil Service for Sustainable Development

Abstract

This paper offers a critical examination of the ethical challenges confronting Nigeria’s civil service, with particular emphasis on advancing sustainable development through the enforcement of control mechanisms aimed at curbing the abuse and misuse of bureaucratic authority. Anchored on a qualitative research paradigm, the study leverages secondary data sources and applies descriptive content analysis to unpack the systemic and institutional dynamics that shape ethical conduct within the public sector.

Findings indicate that institutions mandated to mitigate unethical practices within Nigeria’s civil service remain largely ineffective, primarily due to deep-seated systemic weaknesses. This observation is reinforced by Chatham House, which underscores that top-down legislative interventions have been largely unsuccessful in addressing entrenched corruption, owing to persistent political interference, institutional inertia, and inadequate enforcement mechanisms. As a result, unethical conduct and pervasive corruption continue to erode the integrity, accountability, and functional legitimacy of the nation’s public bureaucracy.

The study identifies corruption as the most entrenched and pervasive manifestation of unethical behaviour within Nigeria’s civil service. This observation is corroborated by Nigeria’s 2023 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score of 25, which places the country 145th out of 180 globally—a ranking that underscores both the endemic nature of public sector corruption and the persistent ineffectiveness of anti-corruption frameworks. Increasingly, the civil service is perceived not as a mechanism for public accountability and national development, but as a domain of bureaucratic privilege, rent-seeking, and administrative inertia. In light of these findings, the paper advocates for the institutionalization of stricter and consistently enforced penalties for corrupt practices as a necessary deterrent to unethical conduct within the civil service. However, it also emphasizes that punitive approaches must be complemented by systemic reforms and the promotion of integrity role models, in order to address the deeper societal norms that sustain corruption.