The EFCC and the Promotion of Good Governance in Nigeria: A Dream or Reality?

Abstract

This paper critically examines the role of the EFCC toward good governance in Nigeria. In light of the commission's central mandate in the war on corruption and money laundering, there is much to be said regarding its true impact in issues related to transparency, accountability, and institutional reform. This is grounded in a systematic review literature approach, examining 10 policy and scholarly documents from 2015 to 2024. The findings, which were thematically categorized, identified five enduring themes: institutional autonomy, political interference, legal and judicial restraints, public opinion, and governance reform outcomes. The review reveals that the EFCC has had some success in asset recovery, public sensitisation, and international cooperation, but its effectiveness is belied by executive interference, ineffective judicial process, and spasmodic enforcement. Public confidence in the Commission is also eroded by charges of selective justice and politicisation. These are limitations that suggest that the EFCC, though strategically positioned in Nigeria's anti-corruption architecture, is still to translate its legal authority into routine and systematic governance change. The paper concludes that the EFCC is a vision in the making—an institution trapped in the matrix of aspiration and reality. To transition from symbolism to substance, strategic reforms need to be undertaken to improve its autonomy, judicial efficiency, and public accountability. These are required for repositioning the EFCC as a credible force for good governance in Nigeria.