Rethinking financial incentive for whistleblowing in high corruption contexts: lessons from Nigeria

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand why the “financial incentive for whistleblowing policy” introduced by the Nigerian Government in 2016 failed to encourage whistleblowing six years after its implementation. This study seeks explanations and draws policy lessons for the ongoing fight against corruption in Nigeria and possibly other African countries with similar social contexts. Design/methodology/approach As a study that seeks explanation for complex, sensitive and secretive social phenomena such as corruption and whistleblowing, the qualitative method was used. Semi-structured and intensive interviews were conducted with 18 participants, carefully selected based on their knowledge and experience of the subject matter of corruption and the whistleblowing policy in Nigeria. The interview data was analyzed using thematic analysis technique. Findings The findings of this study from the interviews revolve around three themes – the role of individual whistleblowers, activities of corruption masterminds and law enforcement agencies/judiciary. Research limitations/implications Like other qualitative research, this study is limited in context and research sample. This study’s context was limited to Nigeria and the research sample was limited to less than 20 participants. Practical implications Fighting corruption by copying policies from more advanced countries and replicating them in developing countries has serially failed to tackle the menace, especially in Nigeria. Findings from this study suggest that in a context where corruption is fueled by a societal institution that tolerates it, it cannot be eradicated through financial inducement to blow the whistle on corrupt practices. Originality/value Although the whistleblowing policy introduced in Nigeria to fight corruption is receiving some attention in the literature, researchers are yet to focus on a key element of the policy, which is its dependence on financial incentive. This study examined this key element of the policy.