Beyond Institutional Bottlenecks: An Empirical Analysis of Employee Perceptions in Respect to Operational Impediments in Nigeria’s EFCC

References

[1] Chioke, S. C. (2026). Sluggish or fast? Interrogating Nigeria’s economic and financial crimes commission’s effectiveness in offloading the load of internal inconsistencies. SN Social Sciences, 6(2), 40.

[2] Okonta, M. (2025). AN INVENTORY ON THE ROLE AND CHALLENGES OF THE EFCC IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA. KB Scholars Journal, UK, 3(2).

[3] Essoh, P. A., Daniel, U. S., & Asangausung, O. S. (2025). An assessment of Nigeria's anticorruption agencies: challenges and implications for national development. IJO-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 8(5), 1-17.

[4] Jisalo, B. A., Magaji, S., & Ismail, Y. (2025). Investigating the Constraints to the Performance of the National Directorate of Employment in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria.

[5] Sunday, U. M. (2025). Economic and financial crimes commision (efcc) and the fighht against corruption in nigeria. An overview (2012-2022).

[6] Bello, P., Matthew, F., & Cosmas, A. O. (2022). The role of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in combating corruption in Nigeria. Musamus Journal of Public Administration, 5(1).

[7] Muheeb, I. O. (2020). State Institutions and the Consolidation of Popular Government in Nigeria. In Governance and Societal Adaptation in Fragile States (pp. 65-94). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

[8] Ogundare, Y. D. (2025). Navigating Ethical Leadership and Corporate Governance in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects. RVIM Journal of Management Research, 47-54.

[9] Ezeoha, A. E., Akinyoade, A., Ehrhardt, D., & Uche, C. (2026). Nigeria and the practice of whistleblowing–How not to mobilize citizens’ participation in anti-corruption programme. Public Integrity, 28(1), 112-132.

[10] Rajis, A. I. (2021). Strategies to Reduce Corrupt Practices at the Firm Level in Nigeria (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).

[11] Muller, S. R. (2022). Digital Forensic Readiness of Cybercrime Investigating Institutions in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force. Academia. edu.

[12] Bamidele, O., Olaniyan, A. O., & Ayodele, B. (2016). Culture, corruption, and anticorruption struggles in Nigeria. Journal of Developing Societies, 32(2), 103-129.

[13] Onoseme, A. F. O. A. F., Samuel, I. T. S. I. T., & Johnson, A. S. J. A. S. (2025). ASSESSING THE UTILIZATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIAN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTION. FUDMA International Journal of Social Sciences, 5(4), 51-63.

[14] Chinedu, C. S., Chukwuemeka, N. B., & Victor, O. I. (2023). Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and war against white-collar crimes in Nigeria. Journal of Public Administration, Finance & Law, 15(3), 45-60.

[15] Adejoh, E., Omada, M. O., Tukura, T. P., & Odaudu, A. (2023). THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC) IN CURBING CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA. International Journal of Global Affairs, Research and Development, 1(2), 150-178.

[16] Okafor, O. N., Opara, M., & Adebisi, F. (2020). Whistleblowing and the fight against corruption and fraud in Nigeria: perceptions of anti-corruption agents (ACAs). Crime, Law and Social Change, 73(2), 115-132.

[17] Samuila, T. A., Danjuma, I. F., Timothy, P. G., Samaila, E. G., & Ahmadi, L. (2025). Fight against corruption in nigeria and south africa. Institutions, governance and social change in africa, 88.

[18] Fagbadebo, O. (2025). Institutions and the Crisis of Governance in Nigeria. In Political Governance and the African Peer Review Mechanism: A Comparative Analysis (pp. 247-261). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

[19] Anugwom, E. E. (2020). Development in Nigeria: Promise on Hold?. Routledge.

[20] Sotande, E. (2019). Impediments affecting the curbing of illicit financial flows of organised crime in developing economies: policy implications. Journal of Financial Crime, 26(1), 5-21.

[21] Onwunyi, U. M., & Akama, H. E. (2024). Political Interference and Effectiveness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, 2010-2020. ESUT JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, 9(2).

[22] Hoffmann, L. K. (2025). Taking Action Against Corruption in Nigeria.

[23] Nwosu-Iheme, U. (2021). A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFICACY OF THE NIGERIAN ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS FOR POLITICALLY EXPOSED PERSONS (Doctoral dissertation, Durham University).

[24] Sa’id, S. U. (2020). Exploring Fraudulent Practices in Nigerian Public Sector: Evidence of Bauchi State (Master's thesis, University of Malaya (Malaysia)).

[25] Alaye, A., & Fakoya, V. (2025). Corruption and the trends of socio-economic development in Nigerian states.. 57-81. Emerging Opportunities and Challenges in Africa. Nairobi: CEDRED Publications. ISBN, 978.

[26] Bolarinwa, I. S., Olola, T., Awofadeju, M., & Fonkem, B. (2023). The Death of Whistleblowing Policies in Nigeria and How It Entrenches Corruption and Financial Misappropriation. Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 7(6), 376-389.

[27] Oni, E. O. (2021). Forging ahead as an anti-corruption agency: the case of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Nigeria (2000–2017).

@article{1718399,
      author = {Glory, Agbor Otonko., Prof. Au. N. Nnonyelu},
      title = {Beyond Institutional Bottlenecks: An Empirical Analysis of Employee Perceptions in Respect to Operational Impediments in Nigeria’s EFCC},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {9},
      number = {11},
      pages = {5663-5674},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718399.pdf},
      abstract = {The study focused on employees' perception of challenges militating against the effective operation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the Southeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The mismatch between the mandate and the outcomes of the commission's operations demands an "insider" analysis of the institutional, legal and socio-political challenges and obstacles to the anti-graft campaign. The study was based on institutional autonomy and the human capital fulfillment, hence the choice of the two selected Zonal Commands: Enugu and Owerri. Descriptive research design was used and a mixed methodology approach to data collection. The population of this study was 1242 employees whose sample size was determined by the Yamane (1967) formula, which yielded a sample of 261 employees. Structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data to 231 valid respondents and the qualitative data was obtained from the In-Depth Interviews (IDI) to 12 purposively selected stakeholders. The results revealed that majority (64.1%) of the respondents considered the commission's operation to be generally effective, with a fair level of satisfaction with work hours and co-worker relationships. A large percentage (76.9%) responded with a fair degree of satisfaction with the reward and incentive systems. Importantly, the qualitative data produced a “mixed result” story that indicated that the quantitative numbers were a “false positive,” as a result of professional pretense and a culture of organizational hierarchy. Parliamentarians pointed to entrenched challenges such as political involvement in high-profile cases, opacity in decision-making processes, and delays in the courts, which impede investigations. The research finds that, although administrative and technological setups have been improved, structural obstacles are still reducing the effectiveness of the commission. They include the institutionalisation of merit-based promotion, insulation from the influence of the executive, and safe space operational debriefs to increase employee input in decision-making processes.},
      keywords = {EFCC, Operational Impediments, Employee Perception, Anti-Corruption, Southeast Nigeria.},
      month = {May},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718399}
  }