Title: Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (Efcc) And Public Sector Corruption In Kogi State Nigeria, 2016 - 2024
Authors: Isah Musa and Basil Chukwuemeka Nwankwo (PhD)
Volume: 9
Issue: 6
Pages: 195-201
Publication Date: 2025/06/28
Abstract:
This paper examined the connection between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and corruption in the public sector in Kogi State, Nigeria, between 2016 and 2024. The research was to investigate how the anticorruption sensitization programs of EFCC have led to the decline of corruption in the public sector in Kogi State and also evaluate how the EFCC monitoring of financial transactions has resulted in the interception of misappropriated public funds in the state in good time. Two research questions and hypotheses were tested on the basis of these objectives. The research was based on the institutional theory suggested by John Meyer and Brian Rowan (1970). The methodology used was a survey design, the primary and secondary data were obtained by surveying a population of 433 respondents. The Taro Yamane formula was used to select a sample size of 208 respondents. The information was collected by means of a structured questionnaire and the results were provided in tables and mean scores. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to analyze it. The most important findings were that the anticorruption sensitization by the EFCC did not make any significant difference in curbing corruption in the public sector in Kogi State, and that the monitoring of financial transactions by the EFCC did not result in interception of misappropriated funds in good time. On the basis of these findings, the research suggests that the anticorruption sensitization campaigns should be re-energized to engage the civil society and other major stakeholders in the non-governmental sector. Such participation would assist in disseminating the message to the grassroots and enhance more cooperation between the EFCC and the civil society in the fight against corruption. Also, the study recommends that with the sophistication of corruption in the public sector, the anti-corruption agencies ought to embrace modern technologies in the detection and investigation of corruption especially in the tracing of illegal financial flows. It is also advisable to strengthen international partnerships with the relevant institutions and countries and capacity building of EFCC personnel in international financial best practices.