The Cancer of Corruption: An Examination of Its Impact on Academic Excellence and National Development in Nigerian Universities, 2000-2024

Abstract

This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the pervasive corruption within Nigerian universities from 2000 to 2024, conceptualizing it as a metastatic "cancer" that undermines academic excellence and cripples national development. Through a qualitative research design employing historical and thematic analysis, the investigation reveals how corruption has become an institutionalized ecosystem. The paper delineates the interlocking forms of corruption—spanning government, university staff, students, and parents—and demonstrates how they create a self-perpetuating cycle of mediocrity. The findings expose a foundational link between systemic government failures, such as politicization and chronic underfunding, and the operational corrupt practices of academic extortion, nepotism, and academic fraud. The study concludes that dismantling this corrupt ecosystem requires a systemic, multi-stakeholder approach. It proposes a roadmap for reform centered on stringent regulatory oversight, the unequivocal reinstatement of merit-based systems, and a concerted cultural shift towards integrity and accountability. This research provides a critical framework for policy interventions aimed at restoring the integrity of Nigerian higher education and unlocking its potential as a catalyst for national progress.