Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that corruption in Nigeria has progressed beyond alarming levels, describing it as fatal to the nation’s survival.

Delivering a keynote address titled Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum, Yale University, Obasanjo warned of the nation’s imminent collapse if systemic corruption remains unaddressed.

“More than ₦700 billion in bribes were paid to public officials in 2023,” Obasanjo stated. “Corruption has infiltrated all levels of government, affecting our economy, governance, and social systems.”

He criticised the practice of state capture, where powerful individuals and entities manipulate laws and policies for personal gain. “State resources are being hijacked by political elites and their associates at the expense of public welfare,” he noted.

Obasanjo described the situation as Nigeria’s greatest developmental challenge, asserting that corruption fuels insecurity, poverty, and underdevelopment. However, he expressed hope, quoting Chinua Achebe’s seminal work The Trouble with Nigeria: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”

He concluded by calling for a collective effort to address immorality and corruption, warning that failure to act would lead to continued chaos and instability.