The Yorubas of Southwest Nigeria believe that one of the most important things that makes life worth living is how well one can create stability and balance across all works of life – at work, with family, friends, and even at leisure. This intricate balance is necessary for wholesome living both at a personal, family and community level and any attempt to disrupt this delicate balance will lead to chaos and calamity.
In Yoruba mythology, Àrò Mẹ́ta is a word that means “tripod” or “three-legged stool”. The expression has a deeper meaning in customs and mysteries and symbolizes balance and stability. Hence the saying “Àrò Mẹ́ta ki d’obe nu” which literarily means a three-legged stool cannot spill the pot of soup often connotes the order and resilience that exists in a solid foundation for any society or endeavour to thrive.
For families and friendships, it may connote trust, respect and love. For work and communal progress, it may mean integrity, hard work and resilience. Similarly, for a nation or people to thrive and edge towards sustainable development, the values of transparency, accountability and fairness are the three-legged stool needed to grow.
Sadly, Nigeria is at a crossroad and the three-legged stool that seeks to upturn our delicate balance as a nation are corruption, impunity and nepotism. These are the bane of Nigeria’s developmental challenges and a triple threat facing the country. Each of these issues undermines governance, development, and public trust, perpetuating a cycle of inefficiency and inequality at all levels – personal and institutional.
Triple Threat of Corruption, Impunity and Nepotism
Corruption is the misuse of power for private gain, ranging from bribery and embezzlement to broader systemic malpractices. It diverts resources meant for public welfare, increases poverty, perpetuates inequality, dissuades foreign investment and stifles sustainable growth and development.
Impunity is the lack of accountability for unlawful actions or poor governance that enables a culture were people in power act without fear of consequences. Impunity discourages civic trust, fosters a sense of injustice, weakens the rule of law, emboldens corrupt practices and perpetuates a system resistant to reform.
Nepotism involves favouring family or close associates for jobs and benefits, often sidelining meritocracy. Nepotism erodes institutional effectiveness and excludes qualified individuals, resulting in inefficient public services and stunted socio-economic development. It also contributes to regional or ethnic divisions when favouritism aligns with such identities.
In our governance and public administration, impunity manifests when politicians and public officials evade prosecution for misconduct due to weak legal frameworks or political protection. Nepotism is rife when public appointments are frequently made based on personal, ethnic, religious or political loyalty, bypassing qualified candidates. While corruption thrives, bribery and embezzlement are rampant, with resources diverted from critical infrastructure and public projects.
In our law enforcement and judiciary, corruption, impunity and nepotism undermine the independence of the judiciary and progressively erodes the faith and respect that Nigerians should have in the justice system. Law enforcement and the judiciary are both emblems of a just society, unfortunately, the elite and powerful peddle influence and privilege to their advantage leading to the appearance of a dual justice system – one for the rich and another for the poor.
The systemic mismanagement and embezzlement of funds allocated has led to the total collapse of the education sector resulting in dilapidated schools, underpaid teachers, poor education outcomes and millions of out-of-school children. Recruitment in public schools often favours connections over merit, leading to unqualified teachers and “Ghost workers” on payrolls, procurement fraud, and bribery undermine the quality of education.
In the health sector, the consequences of corruption, impunity and nepotism are even more deleterious – it costs lives! Poor enforcement of accountability for substandard healthcare services leads to preventable deaths when leadership roles in hospitals and health agencies are awarded based on personal connections, not expertise, funds for health programs are diverted, procurements costs are inflated, and rent-seeking by health workers hinder access to quality healthcare for millions of Nigerians.
The private sector is not spared either in the disruption to the economy and businesses by the triple threat when regulatory bodies fail to penalize corporate misconduct, fostering an environment of economic exploitation where business contracts and opportunities are monopolized by the politically connected. Additionally, extortion by regulatory agencies increases the cost of doing business, discouraging investment and stifling economic growth.
Combating the Triple Threat
To effectively address corruption, impunity and nepotism, Nigeria must be ready to strengthen its institutions by empowering anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and ICPC to operate independently to enforce legal and financial accountability for public officials.
Secondly, the rule of law and judicial reforms must be adhered to. Law enforcement agencies cannot and must not be used as agents of the rich and powerful to suppress dissent and procure judgement against ordinary people. Cases involving high-profile individuals and ordinary Nigerians must be treated equally without partiality to demonstrate that no one is above the law. Resources for funding and training of law enforcement agencies and judicial officers must be prioritised to ensure impartiality and efficiency in the legal process.
Similarly, merit-based appointments must be enforced in the public service for recruitment and promotions. Technology-driven tools, such as online application systems must be employed to minimize human interference in hiring, expand e-governance and other digital tools to track government spending and eliminate fraud in procurement processes to ensure that all government contracts and budgets are publicly accessible for scrutiny.
Finally, citizens must play an active role and civil society organizations must strengthen their capacity to act as watchdogs and amplify grassroots advocacy. Citizens must be empowered to report corruption through safe and anonymous channels with incentives and robust legal protection for whistleblowers to prevent retaliation.
Alternatives to the Status Quo
Addressing corruption, impunity and nepotism requires a multi-faceted approach including personal commitment by every Nigerian, sustained political will, civic engagement, and institutional resilience. While these challenges are deeply entrenched, a combination of systemic reforms and grassroots activism can gradually shift the trajectory toward accountability, equity, and fairness.
These three challenges are mutually reinforcing. Impunity allows corruption and nepotism to thrive without checks, while nepotism fuels corruption by embedding unqualified allies into key positions. Together, they compromise governance structures, impede reforms, and perpetuate socio-economic inequality.
Dismantling the triple threats of corruption, impunity and nepotism also means we must develop alternatives. In place of corruption, we can begin to cultivate integrity, transparency and honesty as our collective ethos at individual and national level. Integrity will ensure that individuals and institutions adhere to moral and ethical principles. Transparency will ensure openness and accountability in actions and decisions while honesty will ensure we all embody truthfulness and fairness, countering the deceit often associated with corruption.
We can go further to swap impunity with accountability, responsibility and justice. At an individual level, we can start with being answerable for and owning up to our actions, ensuring there are consequences for wrongdoing, fairness and adherence to the rule of law, and countering the lack of consequences implied by impunity.
Finally, we can replace nepotism with meritocracy, fairness and impartiality by promoting decisions based on ability and performance rather than personal connections, by emphasising equality in opportunities and being unbiased and treating everyone equally. Accountability, equity, and fairness should be the three-legged stool that defines our country.
