A NATION’S WORST ENEMY: DID ANYTHING CHANGE WITH THE ‘SYNDROME’ OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA’S RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?

Corruption has remained Nigeria’s worst enemy that has immeasurably robbed her of her wellbeing and development potentials as a nation. For most people, mere mention of ‘Nigeria’ exudes corruption. The basic explanation for this is that corruption has become so endemic and systemic in Nigeria as the syndrome permeates all facets of the country’s public life, including the processes and institutions of administration, as well as its entire sectors, without an exception. The COVID-19 pandemic saw overwhelming outcries from different quarters bearing on allegations of corruption in the Nigerian healthcare sector amidst efforts to contain the spread of the disease in the country. This study, thus, attempts to investigate and ascertain the major aspects of the corruption that transpired in the health sector in Nigeria during the pandemic to substantiate the allegations. Relying on secondary data, which were analysed through the descriptive-interpretive and thematic procedures of qualitative data analysis, the study finds that corruption occurred in the affected sector in several ways during the specified period, including mismanagement and unaccountability of COVID-19 financial donations, hoarding and diversion of COVID-19 palliative materials meant for the vulnerable people, among others. The study concludes by suggesting, among other things, the development of a comprehensive national pandemic response framework with effective anti-corruption mechanisms, and the creation of a centralised fund or account for receiving financial donations from donors by the Nigerian Federal Government, as measures for preventing a reoccurrence of this undesirable experience in any future epidemics.