The Legal Frameworks in the Fight against Corruption in Nigeria

Corruption is a cancerous phenomenon that has permeated every facet of society. It has been identified as the main obstacle to the realisation of good governance, sustainable development and millennium development goals. Corruption is an impediment to political, economic and social development, hinders administrative development and performance, impairs economic efficiency, leads to brain drain, discourages foreign investments, undermines effective utilisation of natural resources and hampers transparency. While the manifestation of corruption is without limits, its roots seem to be identifiable in the immoderate inclination for material wealth and power. One of the major catalysts for widespread corruption in Nigeria is the failure in the existing legal frameworks to effectively combat corruption. The methodology adopted were doctrinal and empirical. The objectives of this study are to examine what motivates people to be corrupt, and to analyse the legal frameworks in the fight against corruption, the national, regional and international frameworks will be considered and recommend capital punishment for those guilty of grand and political corruption in order to eradicate this menace. Keywords; Corruption, Political, Economic, Social, development, Legal frameworks, National, Regional, International