A Professor of Social Ethics at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Sunday Awoniyi, has called for a revival of African moral values as part of efforts to tackle corruption, leadership failure and the growing ethical crisis in Nigeria.
Awoniyi made the call while delivering the institution's 64th inaugural lecture titled, "The Wages of Corruption and Leadership Failure: Socio-Ethical Frameworks as Pathways to Social Transformation."
The scholar argued that corruption should not be viewed merely as a legal or economic problem, stressing that it is fundamentally rooted in the erosion of moral values and ethical consciousness within society.
According to him, corruption has become deeply entrenched across many African societies, where practices such as bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, money laundering, vote manipulation, contract fraud and abuse of public office are increasingly normalised.
He noted that the consequences of these practices include weak institutions, slow economic growth, loss of public confidence in government and worsening poverty, adding that many citizens have been denied access to quality healthcare, education and other basic necessities due to corrupt practices.
Awoniyi attributed the persistence of corruption to factors such as greed, poor accountability systems, weak transparency mechanisms, delayed justice, societal tolerance for unethical conduct and the absence of moral standards in leadership selection and promotion.
The professor advocated a socio-ethical approach to governance, urging leaders and institutions to promote character development, civic responsibility and accountability alongside legal reforms. He also called for the restoration of traditional African values such as communal responsibility, respect for elders, care for vulnerable groups and commitment to social harmony.
He further urged the institutionalisation of ethics education in schools and leadership training programmes, maintaining that anti-corruption efforts would yield better results when backed by moral reorientation, cultural change and strong public accountability. He warned that any society that celebrates corruption and dishonesty would continue to experience setbacks in its quest for sustainable development.
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