There is a deeply entrenched view both within and outside of Nigeria that corruption represents an intrinsic feature of Nigerian society.

In reality, however, the issue of corruption is more complex and driven by a range of social and behavioural factors. It is these underlying factors sustaining corruption in Nigeria that the Chatham House Africa Programme’s Social Norms and Accountable Governance (SNAG) research project seeks to diagnose and address – posing the central question: ‘why do people do what they do?’ 

In this episode, Dr Leena Koni Hoffmann and Dr Raj Navanit Patel discuss how and why the SNAG research project came about, explain the social norms methodology that underpins their research, and share key findings from the project for policymakers and Nigerian citizens. 

Odeh Friday (Country Director, Accountability Lab Nigeria) discusses Accountability Lab Nigeria’s engagement with government officials who have rejected corrupt practices and changing the narrative on corruption in Nigeria. 

The Social Norms and Accountable Governance (SNAG) research project is supported by the MacArthur Foundation.

Related content:

Collective Action on Corruption in Nigeria

Pass-mark bribery in Nigerian schools

Vote-selling behaviour and democratic dissatisfaction in Nigeria