For more than three decades after independence, Nigeria was governed largely by men in uniform. Military rulers justified their interventions as necessary responses to civilian corruption and political instability. Over time, however, military rule produced entrenched systems of corruption of its own. By concentrating power, ruling through decrees, and shielding public finance from scrutiny, military governments created conditions in which abuse of state resources became routine. The consequences of this era continue to shape Nigeria’s political culture and governance challenges today.
How Military Rule Reshaped Power
Military governments dismantled democratic safeguards almost immediately after taking power. Constitutions were suspended, legislatures dissolved, and courts subordinated to military decrees. Authority was centralised in ruling councils dominated by senior officers, leaving no institutional checks on executive power.
This concentration meant that decisions over contracts, appointments, and public spending were made behind closed doors. Without parliamentary debate or independent oversight, public office increasingly became a route to personal enrichment rather than public service.
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Secrecy and the State’s Finances
Secrecy defined the management of public finance under military rule. Large portions of government expenditure were classified under national security. Defence budgets, special accounts, and emergency funds operated beyond public review. Procurement processes lacked transparency, enabling inflated contracts, abandoned projects, and diversion of funds.
Oil revenues, the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, were especially vulnerable. Weak accounting systems and executive discretion over foreign exchange allocation and import licences expanded opportunities for patronage and rent seeking.
The Babangida Years and Institutional Decline
General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration coincided with sweeping economic reforms. The Structural Adjustment Programme restructured Nigeria’s financial system, increasing state discretion over privatisation, currency controls, and external borrowing. While presented as economic reform, these changes weakened transparency and accountability.
This period saw the expansion of elite patronage networks, controversial contract awards, and unresolved questions surrounding public revenue management. Public confidence in state institutions declined as economic hardship deepened and accountability mechanisms remained weak.
The Abacha Loot and Open Plunder
Corruption reached its most visible and documented peak under General Sani Abacha. After his death, investigations by Nigerian authorities and foreign governments uncovered extensive diversion of public funds into foreign accounts controlled by Abacha, his family, and close associates.
Billions of dollars were traced to banks in Europe and other jurisdictions. International asset recovery efforts later returned significant sums to Nigeria. The Abacha loot became a lasting symbol of how unchecked military power enabled personal enrichment on a national scale.
Earlier Military Governments and Missed Restraint
Earlier military regimes operated within similar structural weaknesses, though with different outcomes. Under General Yakubu Gowon, rapid oil revenue growth during the civil war and post war reconstruction overwhelmed state capacity. Poor financial controls and weak oversight led to widespread misuse of public funds.
The Murtala Mohammed administration publicly acknowledged corruption within the military and civil service, launching mass dismissals. General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government initiated a transition to civilian rule but continued to govern through decrees that limited transparency and independent oversight.
Silencing Scrutiny and Dissent
Military regimes restricted press freedom and curtailed civil liberties. Journalists and critics were detained under laws that criminalised dissent. This environment discouraged whistleblowing and investigative reporting. Corruption persisted not only because it occurred, but because exposure carried serious personal risk.
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Lasting Damage to Governance
The legacy of military era corruption runs deep. Public trust in institutions eroded, financial systems weakened, and patronage networks became entrenched. Civilian governments that followed inherited hollowed institutions and a political culture shaped by decades of unaccountable rule.
Nigeria’s military era shows how governance without accountability enables corruption. Military rule did not eliminate corruption; it reorganised the state in ways that made abuse systemic. Concentrated power, secrecy in public finance, and repression of oversight allowed corruption to flourish. Understanding this history remains essential to strengthening democratic governance and preventing a return to unchecked authority.
Author’s Note
Nigeria’s years under military rule reveal a clear lesson. When power is concentrated, finances are hidden, and scrutiny is silenced, corruption becomes embedded in governance. The experience of military rule shows why transparency, civilian oversight, and accountable institutions remain central to Nigeria’s political future.
References
Falola, Toyin and Heaton, Matthew. A History of Nigeria.
Campbell, John. Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink.
Transparency International. Corruption and Governance in Nigeria
