Nigeria: Government Corruption and Electoral Reform
Abstract
The 2011 general election in Nigeria was internationally recognized as the most open and transparent to date. Greater voter turn out and increased voter confidence in fair election results were reported by both the European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria and the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES). However, since 2008, Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index has steadily declined, indicating an increase in perceived government corruption. As perception of government corruption remains critically high, insurgent violence in northern Nigeria has increased over the same period of time. Counterinsurgency theory states that insurgents can use core grievances, such as government corruption, to gain public support. Despite improvements in Nigeria's general election process over the past decade, the population's increasing perception of government corruption since 2009 directly correlates to a rise in insurgent violence and may impede Nigeria's counterinsurgency effort. Following the conclusions, recommendations are made to improve government legitimacy and decrease perceptions of government corruption, thereby aiding in effective counterinsurgency operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 02, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA569417
Entities
People
- James A Stewart
Organizations
- Naval War College