Legal Implications of Whistle Blowing as a Corporate Governance tool in Nigeria
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Date
2025-12
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Lead City University Ibadan
Abstract
By promoting openness, responsibility, and moral behaviour across businesses, corporate governance serves as the foundation of sustainable institutional and economic development. Nigerians’ financial stability, investor confidence, and national development efforts have all been undermined by ongoing governance failures, corruption, and corporate misconduct. In this context, whistleblowing has become a vital tool in corporate governance for detecting and discouraging unethical practices, fraud, and corruption. This study assesses whistleblowing as a corporate governance instrument in Nigeria by examining its institutional and legal frameworks, philosophical foundations, and sociocultural factors influencing its effectiveness. To evaluate Nigeria whistleblowing system, the study reviews current literature, legal instruments, and institutional practices through a conceptual and doctrinal research approach. It exposes significant weaknesses in institutional enforcement, corporate culture, and legal protections that discourage future whistleblowers. Major obstacles include fear of retaliation, poor confidentiality protocols, inadequate incentives, bureaucratic delays, and low public confidence in reporting systems. Additionally, the paper highlights the fragmented nature of Nigeria & #39; s legal system, noting the absence of comprehensive whistleblower protection laws aligned with international standards established in the US, the EU, and other developed countries. The findings emphasize the need for an integrated, culturally sensitive framework for whistleblowers that enhances institutional accountability while ensuring proper protection, confidentiality, and compensation. To foster a culture of ethical reporting, the study recommends public awareness campaigns, capacity building for compliance officers, stronger enforcement by organizations like the EFCC and ICPC, and legislative consolidation. It concludes that strengthening corporate governance, combating corruption, and promoting accountability, transparency, and sustainable development in Nigeria all hinge on an efficient whistleblowing mechanism.
Keywords: Whistleblowing, Corporate Governance, Corruption, Accountability, Legal Framework, Nigeria
Word Count: 258
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Keywords
Whistleblowing, Corporate Governance, Corruption, Accountability, Legal Framework, Nigeria
Citation
Kate Turabian