Dr Muazu Abba Jabir & Dr Jamila Isah
Abstract
Corruption in Nigeria is deep-rooted, occurring in all sectors – public and private, and in several forms. Problems such as abject poverty, unemployment, poor infrastructural facilities, ill-health, poor quality education, and so on, are known to be fallouts from corruption. It has continued unabated despite numerous efforts by the government and other anti-corruption institutions to combat it and mitigate its detrimental effects on nation-building. There are still high incidences of corruption, which adversely affect service delivery, impede national development, and increase public mistrust. This paper, therefore, discussed how inculcating moral values/education can be used as a sustainable option to combat corruption in Nigeria for effective citizenship and national rebirth. Specifically, the concept of morality and moral education, the concept and nature of corruption, forms/types of corruption, causes/factors promoting corruption, consequences/effects of corruption, strategies for combating corruption, and the role of moral values in combating corruption were discussed. By inculcating moral values in the citizens, Nigeria will not only be scaling down corruption but proactively attacking its root cause. It was suggested, among others, that moral education should be imbued into the school curriculum, starting from the basic level to the tertiary level of education.