ISSN 2360-798X
Abstract
Accepted 14th November, 2016.
Many unresolved problems abound in Nigeria, but the upsurge issues of corruption and sharp practices are alarming. The damages they have done to the improvement of agriculture and rural development in Nigeria is astronomical. The menace of corruption leads to the slow development of agriculture and rural areas. Corruption and sharp practices are pandemic. They have eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigerian society. Corruption is an endemic social factor that encompasses unilateral abuses by government officials such as embezzlement, favoritism and nepotism as well as abuses linking public and private actors such as bribery, extortion, peddling and fraud. This paper examines the issues of corruption and sharp practices and their attendant consequences to agriculture and rural development in Nigeria. It takes a cursory look at agriculture and rural development dimensions, forms of corruption and sharp practices in Nigeria, areas of corrupt practices in agriculture and rural development, effects of corruption and sharp practices on agriculture and rural development as well as anti-corruption measures to control corruption. Central to the discussion on these is that corruption and sharp practices pose serious impediments to agricultural practices and rural development in Nigeria. The paper contended that to effectively control corruption and sharp practices and to facilitate agricultural practices and rural development in Nigeria, adherence to ethical standards in decision making must be the foundation of the nation’s policies. It finally suggested among others that any efforts aimed at improving agriculture and rural development would require an articulated and functional policy on agriculture.
Keywords: Corruption practices; consequences of corruption, Agriculture and rural development