E-Government: Mitigating Administrative Corruption in Nigerian Public Institutions

Abstract

Information and communications technology (ICT) development in various fields of human endeavours has been a phenomenal accelerator of systems and an improvement on administrative processes. ICT tools have aided relationships and transactions between the government and the citizenry. This paper engaged the extensive use of secondary data as a method of investigation and analysis. As part of the findings in the work, ICT tools are very useful to curb administrative corruption within government institutions. It helps increase transparency and accountability in many administrative processes such as procurement and other financial records. It also serves as a cost-saving tool in many areas. However, in Nigeria, e-government is yet to be fully embraced; and as a nation with a huge population of over 170 million citizens, and where it has been introduced, it is either ineffectively engaged or abused, leading to a counter effect. This paper examined the social causes of the poor adoption of e-government in Nigeria and its failure to reduce corruption in the country. It recommended a stronger political will to the fight against corruption and the implementation of innovative technologies that will eliminate or at least reduce human interferences within government processes.