Leadership Transparency and Institutional Accountability as Predictors of Anti-Corruption Performance: A Public Perception Study of Nigeria’s EFCC.
Résumé
Despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) mandate to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes in Nigeria, concerns persist regarding its case-clearance effectiveness and the level of public confidence in its operations. Although accountability and leadership-driven transparency are widely recognised as critical determinants of institutional effectiveness, existing studies on EFCC performance have largely focused on operational indicators while paying limited attention to leadership and communication-related factors. Similarly, research on ethical leadership in Nigerian public institutions has rarely examined outcomes as tangible and consequential as case-clearance performance. Against this backdrop, this study assessed the impact of accountability and leadership-driven transparency on the EFCC’s case-clearance rate from the perspective of public perception. A survey research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 400 respondents across North-Central Nigeria. Of the questionnaires distributed, 386 were properly completed and returned, representing a response rate of 96.5%. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression employed to test the study hypotheses. The findings revealed that accountability (β = 0.451, p < 0.001) and leadership-driven transparency (β = 0.094, p = 0.080) were both positively associated with the EFCC’s case-clearance rate. However, while accountability exerted a statistically significant influence on case-clearance performance, leadership-driven transparency, though positive, was not statistically significant. The regression model further showed that accountability and leadership-driven transparency jointly explained 67.4% of the variation in the EFCC’s case-clearance rate (R² = 0.674), indicating substantial explanatory power. The study concludes that accountability and transparent leadership practices are critical drivers of operational effectiveness within anti-corruption institutions. It therefore recommends that the EFCC strengthen its accountability framework through enhanced compliance monitoring, periodic performance audits, clearly defined performance targets, effective sanctions for misconduct, and incentive mechanisms for ethical behavior. Such measures, combined with sustained leadership transparency, are likely to improve operational outcomes, enhance public confidence, and contribute to more effective case-clearance performance.
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