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Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines
A frontline account of how to fight corruption, from Nigeria's former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
In Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has written a primer for those working to root out corruption and disrupt vested interests. Drawing on her experience as Nigeria's finance minister and that of her team, she describes dangers, pitfalls, and successes in fighting corruption. She provides practical lessons learned and tells how anti-corruption advocates need to equip themselves. Okonjo-Iweala details the numerous ways in which corruption can divert resources away from development, rewarding the unscrupulous and depriving poor people of services.
Okonjo-Iweala discovered just how dangerous fighting corruption could be when her 83-year-old mother was kidnapped in 2012 by forces who objected to some of the government's efforts at reforms led by Okonjo-Iweala—in particular a crackdown on fraudulent claims for oil subsidy payments, a huge drain on the country's finances. The kidnappers' first demand was that Okonjo-Iweala resign from her position on live television and leave the country. Okonjo-Iweala did not resign, her mother escaped, and the program of economic reforms continued. “Telling my story is risky,” Okonjo-Iweala writes. “But not telling it is also dangerous.” Her book ultimately leaves us with hope, showing that victories are possible in the fight against corruption.
In Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has written a primer for those working to root out corruption and disrupt vested interests. Drawing on her experience as Nigeria's finance minister and that of her team, she describes dangers, pitfalls, and successes in fighting corruption. She provides practical lessons learned and tells how anti-corruption advocates need to equip themselves. Okonjo-Iweala details the numerous ways in which corruption can divert resources away from development, rewarding the unscrupulous and depriving poor people of services.
Okonjo-Iweala discovered just how dangerous fighting corruption could be when her 83-year-old mother was kidnapped in 2012 by forces who objected to some of the government's efforts at reforms led by Okonjo-Iweala—in particular a crackdown on fraudulent claims for oil subsidy payments, a huge drain on the country's finances. The kidnappers' first demand was that Okonjo-Iweala resign from her position on live television and leave the country. Okonjo-Iweala did not resign, her mother escaped, and the program of economic reforms continued. “Telling my story is risky,” Okonjo-Iweala writes. “But not telling it is also dangerous.” Her book ultimately leaves us with hope, showing that victories are possible in the fight against corruption.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published April 20, 2018
73 people are currently reading
545 people want to read
About the author
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
8 books35 followersNgozi Okonjo-Iweala was Nigeria's Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2015, and Foreign Minister in 2006. She was Managing Director of the World Bank from 2007 to 2011, overseeing South Asia, Europe, Central Asia, and Africa, and is currently Senior Adviser at Lazard and Board Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. She is the author of Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria (MIT Press).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 31, 2018
I can think of a few alternate titles for this book: “The Struggles in My Second Coming”; “I Tried, But Corruption Won” “Alleged Corruption in Jonathan’s Administration: It Wasn't Me, It Was Them”. I jest, yet I do think some of the things she wrote are serious; and there are important lessons to learn, especially for someone who is interested in making positive change in government. I deeply admire Dr. Iweala. She's a sound and experienced technocrat. Keeping to her plain style of writing, the book is quite an accessible read. The book is a memoir of sort of Iweala’s second stint as minister of finance (2011-2015) in Nigeria. In the book, she talks about her efforts on fiscal control; her experience and numerous clashes with people and interest groups that were bent on feasting the country's resources. She also talks about her struggles and personal costs (like the kidnap of her aged mother) for fighting institutional corruption and other forms of organised graft as minister. On the whole, the book is intended to defend herself from the corruption allegations against the Jonathan administration. Who should read the book: If you've been reading newspapers in the past 8 years, you really don't need to read this book, because more than 80% of the book are recycled stories. However, there are very very important lessons on fiscal control, decision making etc., to learn from the book, so for that, I recommend it for everyone.
January 10, 2021
Two days ago, I finished Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines. Ngozi was Nigeria’s former finance minister and currently the lead candidate for the Director-General position at the World Trade Organization. The book was published in 2018.
The book offers an interesting insider account of what it means to work as a senior official in the Nigerian government. This exposé details her time during the Goodluck Jonathan era which was from 2011 to 2015. During this period, she was not just the Finance Minister but also held a special position as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy (CME) — the first of its kind in the country.
The first thing that hits you in this book is the level of impunity in the Nigerian government. It just seems to me that there are forces whose life mission is to ensure that Nigeria is kept in perpetual underdevelopment. You will see as I go on.
The book starts with the story of the kidnapping of the author’s mother. Her mother was kidnapped and held for five days by people she suspected to have been sent by oil marketers whom she admits she had a big fallout with and those involved in the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P) who (wrongly) felt she was responsible for their delayed payments. On the sixth day, for more than two hours, this eighty-three-year-old grandmother ran, jogged and walked in the forest to safety. At a point, she had to slide down an incline to a major highway. By the time she got to the bottom, she was covered with scrapes, bruises, mud, leaves, and grass. She said that she must have looked like the mad men and women that one often sees in Nigeria wandering by the roadside or muttering to themselves in the market square.
The rest of the book dealt with how the author got herself into this position. But even before she accepted the ministerial position from President Jonathan, she was visited by Donald Duke, a former state governor, who said he carried a message from a group of concerned Nigerians whose advice was that she should turn down the offer. Why? she asked. His response was that her acceptance would “give Jonathan and his government credibility” and he did not deserve that. This to me shows that some of Nigerian elites do not care if the country burns to the ground if they don’t have their way.
She also noted her challenges with the media especially Sahara Reporters. She referred to a research which shows that, of forty-one articles that Sahara Reporters published about her in twenty-five months, only one was positive. Her conclusion is that she could not be this bad and that there must be bias against her.
While this may be true, she was also quick to admit that if there was one way the government she was a part of failed, it’s in the area of communication. A case in point was the sudden subsidy removal of 2011 which led to widespread protests in several cities in Nigeria with particularly well-organized large turnouts in the opposition stronghold of Lagos. As nationwide protests engulfed the country, no one in government came out to defend the government or explained the basis for the ill-timed policy action.
And that leads me to how much Jonathan was played. While Okonjo-Iweala and her team had called for patience and strategic phasing out of the petroleum subsidy, it was the governors who had urged the President not to delay any longer but to announce the subsidy phase-out at the beginning of the year. It was incredible that none of the governors came to the rescue when the policy roiled the nation. And of course, this would not be the last time serious lack of communication happened in the administration.
It happened with Sanusi Lamido. The story of how his leaked letter of the missing $50 billion caused pandemonium in the country is quite interesting. If Iweala’s narration of his unprofessional conduct is to be believed, then he deserved to be removed as the CBN governor. It’s even more interesting that a while before Sanusi raised the alarm of the missing funds, Sanusi was being investigated for “financial recklessness” ostensibly linked to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s problems with the Financial Reporting Council. But again, lack of communication made the country feel like Sanusi became a martyr for looking out for the country.
#DoYouKnow that in 1978, under Minister Muhammadu Buhari of the Petroleum Ministry, there was a missing $3.5 billion not remitted by NNPC to the treasury? Yeah, 1978!
NNPC is a basket case. The amount of public funds unaccounted for in that agency is mind-boggling. Instead of serving the country, it looks like the country is serving NNPC. A situation where its Group Managing Director challenged the right of the Finance Minister’s right to ask for information on production volumes and sales of crude oil or even to try to hold NNPC accountable to deliver the needed volume of funding is one that causes one to shudder.
#DoYouKnow When Nuhu Ribadu, the first Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, needed to leave Nigeria in 2009, the government of Norway, the Center for Global Development (CGD), and the World Bank financed an eighteen-month fellowship for him at CGD.
There is also the matter of the National Assembly which to me is the most interesting chapter in the book. The long and short of the chapter is that Nigerian legislators exist to budget as much money as possible to themselves. The budget process is one which every Nigerian should read about. Perhaps it will cause us to hold them more accountable. There is a reason they earn one of the highest monetary benefits in the world. Our budget system is flawed.
And the governors. It’s disheartening to see that people like Oshiomhole, Amaechi and Fashola whose decisions to stop the country from savings leading to untold hardship to Nigerians were and are being rewarded with ministerial and high level political appointments. These people, through their actions, literally plunged the country into a needless recession. And the way Nigerian states borrow recklessly is another alarming part of the book. Oh, Lagos state!
She took a swipe at Muhammadu Buhari as well. He knew that Nigeria has little savings yet did not appoint ministers for six months. When he appointed them, he embarked on disjointed monetary and exchange-rate policies which damaged investor confidence and capital flight. Flat out wrong economic policies led to the first economic contraction for two decades in Nigeria.
The different scams perpetuated by those in the civil service is also a highlight. Look at the judgement scam. It typically arises when a government ministry, department, or agency defaults on a contract and is sued by the contractor or service provider, who often wins the case and receives the original disputed amount owed by government plus interest and a fine. The gist is that civil servants gang up with contractors for their agencies to be sued. Because they are obviously in the wrong, the judge will rule in the contractor’s favor. The contractors get paid many millions and the ‘loot’ is shared with the civil servants. And you know it’s not the agencies that pay these fines but the federal government from taxpayer’s money. She said these judgement debts increased from ₦8 billion in 2006 to ₦80 billion in 2012. Such corruption.
There is also Apapa port where NPA is making $6 million a year and the federal government knows not that such fees even exist.
What gets me the most in this book is the lack of institutional building at all levels. There are systems like the IPPIS, GIFMIS and TSA, sure, under development as far back as the Obasanjo administration (for emphasis, the Buhari administration did not come up with these systems), but their implementation is not across board.
As much as the author tried to protect the person of Goodluck Jonathan it’s painfully obvious that while a courteous and liberal president (his unprecedented peaceful handover of power to the opposition is to be acknowledged), he did not punish wrongdoings. This led to a feeling of impunity on the part of vested interests who felt they could get away with corrupt acts. People got away with ‘murder’. No system in place to get rid of corruption. My heart sank when Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala discussed Nigeria’s economy with Jonathan and he kept saying he did not know economics. Anyone who does not know economics should not be in charge of the economy of any state or nation. The knowledge of how the economy works should be the minimum.
This lack of systems is even worse at the state level. None of the three systems above exist at the state level. Considering state and local governments constitutionally control 48 percent of all national revenues, that’s a lot of money unaccounted for.
No system to integrate women in politics too. A paltry 5% representation at the national assembly for a population made up of 50% women is simply unacceptable.
A major drawback about the book is that she withheld so many names of actors who played negative roles in the book. If she’s scared of lawsuits, why bother about the book at all? A good example was a senior presidential adviser who made her access to the Presidential Villa difficult during the visit of Christine Lagarde, current President of the European Central Bank, who was then at the IMF. The author didn’t mention the name of this person.
The book also felt as if all the decisions made under her at the Ministry of Finance turned out well. It begs the question, were there any decision by her in four years that didn’t go as intended? In that wise, it could read as a one-sided account.
Overall, this is a captivating book that’s well written and easy to read. It is guaranteed to make you sad about the state of the country, considering the situations described have become worse under the Buhari government.
The book offers an interesting insider account of what it means to work as a senior official in the Nigerian government. This exposé details her time during the Goodluck Jonathan era which was from 2011 to 2015. During this period, she was not just the Finance Minister but also held a special position as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy (CME) — the first of its kind in the country.
The first thing that hits you in this book is the level of impunity in the Nigerian government. It just seems to me that there are forces whose life mission is to ensure that Nigeria is kept in perpetual underdevelopment. You will see as I go on.
The book starts with the story of the kidnapping of the author’s mother. Her mother was kidnapped and held for five days by people she suspected to have been sent by oil marketers whom she admits she had a big fallout with and those involved in the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P) who (wrongly) felt she was responsible for their delayed payments. On the sixth day, for more than two hours, this eighty-three-year-old grandmother ran, jogged and walked in the forest to safety. At a point, she had to slide down an incline to a major highway. By the time she got to the bottom, she was covered with scrapes, bruises, mud, leaves, and grass. She said that she must have looked like the mad men and women that one often sees in Nigeria wandering by the roadside or muttering to themselves in the market square.
The rest of the book dealt with how the author got herself into this position. But even before she accepted the ministerial position from President Jonathan, she was visited by Donald Duke, a former state governor, who said he carried a message from a group of concerned Nigerians whose advice was that she should turn down the offer. Why? she asked. His response was that her acceptance would “give Jonathan and his government credibility” and he did not deserve that. This to me shows that some of Nigerian elites do not care if the country burns to the ground if they don’t have their way.
She also noted her challenges with the media especially Sahara Reporters. She referred to a research which shows that, of forty-one articles that Sahara Reporters published about her in twenty-five months, only one was positive. Her conclusion is that she could not be this bad and that there must be bias against her.
While this may be true, she was also quick to admit that if there was one way the government she was a part of failed, it’s in the area of communication. A case in point was the sudden subsidy removal of 2011 which led to widespread protests in several cities in Nigeria with particularly well-organized large turnouts in the opposition stronghold of Lagos. As nationwide protests engulfed the country, no one in government came out to defend the government or explained the basis for the ill-timed policy action.
And that leads me to how much Jonathan was played. While Okonjo-Iweala and her team had called for patience and strategic phasing out of the petroleum subsidy, it was the governors who had urged the President not to delay any longer but to announce the subsidy phase-out at the beginning of the year. It was incredible that none of the governors came to the rescue when the policy roiled the nation. And of course, this would not be the last time serious lack of communication happened in the administration.
It happened with Sanusi Lamido. The story of how his leaked letter of the missing $50 billion caused pandemonium in the country is quite interesting. If Iweala’s narration of his unprofessional conduct is to be believed, then he deserved to be removed as the CBN governor. It’s even more interesting that a while before Sanusi raised the alarm of the missing funds, Sanusi was being investigated for “financial recklessness” ostensibly linked to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s problems with the Financial Reporting Council. But again, lack of communication made the country feel like Sanusi became a martyr for looking out for the country.
#DoYouKnow that in 1978, under Minister Muhammadu Buhari of the Petroleum Ministry, there was a missing $3.5 billion not remitted by NNPC to the treasury? Yeah, 1978!
NNPC is a basket case. The amount of public funds unaccounted for in that agency is mind-boggling. Instead of serving the country, it looks like the country is serving NNPC. A situation where its Group Managing Director challenged the right of the Finance Minister’s right to ask for information on production volumes and sales of crude oil or even to try to hold NNPC accountable to deliver the needed volume of funding is one that causes one to shudder.
#DoYouKnow When Nuhu Ribadu, the first Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, needed to leave Nigeria in 2009, the government of Norway, the Center for Global Development (CGD), and the World Bank financed an eighteen-month fellowship for him at CGD.
There is also the matter of the National Assembly which to me is the most interesting chapter in the book. The long and short of the chapter is that Nigerian legislators exist to budget as much money as possible to themselves. The budget process is one which every Nigerian should read about. Perhaps it will cause us to hold them more accountable. There is a reason they earn one of the highest monetary benefits in the world. Our budget system is flawed.
And the governors. It’s disheartening to see that people like Oshiomhole, Amaechi and Fashola whose decisions to stop the country from savings leading to untold hardship to Nigerians were and are being rewarded with ministerial and high level political appointments. These people, through their actions, literally plunged the country into a needless recession. And the way Nigerian states borrow recklessly is another alarming part of the book. Oh, Lagos state!
She took a swipe at Muhammadu Buhari as well. He knew that Nigeria has little savings yet did not appoint ministers for six months. When he appointed them, he embarked on disjointed monetary and exchange-rate policies which damaged investor confidence and capital flight. Flat out wrong economic policies led to the first economic contraction for two decades in Nigeria.
The different scams perpetuated by those in the civil service is also a highlight. Look at the judgement scam. It typically arises when a government ministry, department, or agency defaults on a contract and is sued by the contractor or service provider, who often wins the case and receives the original disputed amount owed by government plus interest and a fine. The gist is that civil servants gang up with contractors for their agencies to be sued. Because they are obviously in the wrong, the judge will rule in the contractor’s favor. The contractors get paid many millions and the ‘loot’ is shared with the civil servants. And you know it’s not the agencies that pay these fines but the federal government from taxpayer’s money. She said these judgement debts increased from ₦8 billion in 2006 to ₦80 billion in 2012. Such corruption.
There is also Apapa port where NPA is making $6 million a year and the federal government knows not that such fees even exist.
What gets me the most in this book is the lack of institutional building at all levels. There are systems like the IPPIS, GIFMIS and TSA, sure, under development as far back as the Obasanjo administration (for emphasis, the Buhari administration did not come up with these systems), but their implementation is not across board.
As much as the author tried to protect the person of Goodluck Jonathan it’s painfully obvious that while a courteous and liberal president (his unprecedented peaceful handover of power to the opposition is to be acknowledged), he did not punish wrongdoings. This led to a feeling of impunity on the part of vested interests who felt they could get away with corrupt acts. People got away with ‘murder’. No system in place to get rid of corruption. My heart sank when Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala discussed Nigeria’s economy with Jonathan and he kept saying he did not know economics. Anyone who does not know economics should not be in charge of the economy of any state or nation. The knowledge of how the economy works should be the minimum.
This lack of systems is even worse at the state level. None of the three systems above exist at the state level. Considering state and local governments constitutionally control 48 percent of all national revenues, that’s a lot of money unaccounted for.
No system to integrate women in politics too. A paltry 5% representation at the national assembly for a population made up of 50% women is simply unacceptable.
A major drawback about the book is that she withheld so many names of actors who played negative roles in the book. If she’s scared of lawsuits, why bother about the book at all? A good example was a senior presidential adviser who made her access to the Presidential Villa difficult during the visit of Christine Lagarde, current President of the European Central Bank, who was then at the IMF. The author didn’t mention the name of this person.
The book also felt as if all the decisions made under her at the Ministry of Finance turned out well. It begs the question, were there any decision by her in four years that didn’t go as intended? In that wise, it could read as a one-sided account.
Overall, this is a captivating book that’s well written and easy to read. It is guaranteed to make you sad about the state of the country, considering the situations described have become worse under the Buhari government.
April 16, 2021
This book was written clearly, so you don't need an economics or political science degree to understand it. And the points that she makes as well as the events that she narrates are expressed concisely. It is also very informative about Nigerian events.
Beyond all of the above though, this book and books like it are important.
Part of what we lack in Nigeria are readily available accounts of our own history (that aren't government sanitized propaganda). So much of what is going on around us and influencing our present is obscured from the general population. And it's hard for individuals to get that information because the people involved are mostly still alive and ready to maintain the shroud of secrecy. This book wasn't a tell-all listing all the names. But it was a good place to start in explaining some of the events that brought us to our present position with the perspective of someone at the center of events as they unfolded.
Beyond all of the above though, this book and books like it are important.
Part of what we lack in Nigeria are readily available accounts of our own history (that aren't government sanitized propaganda). So much of what is going on around us and influencing our present is obscured from the general population. And it's hard for individuals to get that information because the people involved are mostly still alive and ready to maintain the shroud of secrecy. This book wasn't a tell-all listing all the names. But it was a good place to start in explaining some of the events that brought us to our present position with the perspective of someone at the center of events as they unfolded.
November 20, 2022
Just the chef's kiss of a memoir.
Ngozi gives us a cross-sectional look at her time as Finance Minister under what is arguably Nigeria's best democratic run. The receipts all check out and the writing is as honest as humanly possible.
Deserves a re-read. Well done, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Ngozi gives us a cross-sectional look at her time as Finance Minister under what is arguably Nigeria's best democratic run. The receipts all check out and the writing is as honest as humanly possible.
Deserves a re-read. Well done, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
September 26, 2018
Ngozi Iweala in the book says - So telling my story is risky. But not telling it also is dangerous. - Seeing this, you'd think she named names or called out corrupt people in her book. The only names she mentioned are mostly her critics and names that were already in the news.
This book is nothing but an attempt to seek sympathy and give an excuse to the international community for the corruption that took place under her watch as coordinating minister of the economy under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
This book is nothing but an attempt to seek sympathy and give an excuse to the international community for the corruption that took place under her watch as coordinating minister of the economy under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
May 9, 2022
A quick read. A good account of the story behind the headlines which is almost always different from the perspective of the headlines. For any Nigerian or anyone resident in Nigeria, there are no surprises about the atrocities detailed. It helps the discourse around corruption in Nigeria for history's sake. The fight against corruption is, indeed, dangerous!
July 25, 2022
This book is an expose on what happens behind the Nigerian political scene, as it gives a thorough insider account of what the media won't tell us.
I like that Ngozi highlighted even the shortcomings of the GEJ led government and how they failed in the area of communications, instead of just telling us how great the administration was.
Even though it was a sad read, I loved it and I wish we get it right in government soon.
I like that Ngozi highlighted even the shortcomings of the GEJ led government and how they failed in the area of communications, instead of just telling us how great the administration was.
Even though it was a sad read, I loved it and I wish we get it right in government soon.
September 1, 2021
I just want to know what is NOI’s self care regimen. I was so stressed just reading about it, don’t know how she lived it. The book is written without frills but the miles of receipts and naming names (or judiciously hinting at them) keeps it very engaging. She balances the tone to be not only full of hope and encouragement but also realistic about the costs of taking on such a project, personal, professional and reputational. I never used to understand when Nigerians would urge to pray for their leaders, but I get it now.
May 22, 2018
Informative
While this is a personal account of one of the most controversial players in Nigeria’s history, it is quite informative. It gives a lot of insight on some of the administration’s questionable policies and decisions as well as the complex socio-economic dynamics of Nigeria. These insights along with some of her recommendations for fighting corruption should be of interest to young Africans who want to make a difference.
While this is a personal account of one of the most controversial players in Nigeria’s history, it is quite informative. It gives a lot of insight on some of the administration’s questionable policies and decisions as well as the complex socio-economic dynamics of Nigeria. These insights along with some of her recommendations for fighting corruption should be of interest to young Africans who want to make a difference.
July 31, 2018
Sanctimonious.
December 31, 2020
Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines
"Fighting Corruption is Dangerous..." by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a 'good read'.
It informs the reader of the gigantic task of nation building. It is the author's reflection of her administration as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy (CME) of Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan's tenure.
This is a book that shows her prowess as an administrator. One may guess that the former Minister regularly keeps a diary of her daily routine which made the book possible.
The book is similar to John Perkin's Confessions of an Economic Hitman... which discusses the US economic growth policies in several developing countries around the world. Anyone with a keen eye can objectively figure out that she may be playing the 'pawn' (on a wider global conspiracy scale) of Western Neo-imperialism which may be unknown to her as she delivers her duty faithfully.
Macroeconomic policies are often not agreed upon by economists around the world. Economic growth may not reflect the necessary development the country needs. She cries out for loans to be pegged to sustainable development programs which is rational. But development plans that increase Human Development Index (HDI) are not necessarily tied to infrastructure as she claims (Page 59) in her support for the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund. Nigeria, and similar developing countries, may need to measure her economic development with certain Key Performance Indicators that are far different from the ones used for economic growth.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is vast in the sense that she is very much informed of other possible economists challenging her economic policies as she included Odilim Enwegbara's criticism in the book. Economic models, just like financial models, can be unpredictable. They may lead to growth in the Economy yet widen inequality among income earners. This is what some critics may have observed. One critic, Professor Charles Soludo - a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has 'talked down' her achievements in President Obasanjo's administration in the past.
The author has had two golden opportunities to serve in the corridors of power. Her family must be very proud of her - Dad and Mum's sugar girl was politically naive in the way she handled the Fuel Subsidy dilemma as the then President decided to phase out the subsidies in stages contrary to what the author's Economic Management Team had proposed and the President fixed a different day for the announcement.
How do you expect to recruit the best candidates into government parastatals without being opposed by the Quota System advocates? Auntie Ngozi may have led her team transparently in the Nigerian affairs, but transparency is better left to the private sector of the economy.
Dr Ngozi is sympathetic about the Chibok girls scenario and as a mother she probably was the best person placed in the forefront. But from her writings about the executive cabinet, she may be perceived as a feminist - one who may advocate gender equality at every facet of society.
"So telling my story is risky. But not telling it also is dangerous..."
"Fighting Corruption is Dangerous..." by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a 'good read'.
It informs the reader of the gigantic task of nation building. It is the author's reflection of her administration as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy (CME) of Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan's tenure.
This is a book that shows her prowess as an administrator. One may guess that the former Minister regularly keeps a diary of her daily routine which made the book possible.
The book is similar to John Perkin's Confessions of an Economic Hitman... which discusses the US economic growth policies in several developing countries around the world. Anyone with a keen eye can objectively figure out that she may be playing the 'pawn' (on a wider global conspiracy scale) of Western Neo-imperialism which may be unknown to her as she delivers her duty faithfully.
Macroeconomic policies are often not agreed upon by economists around the world. Economic growth may not reflect the necessary development the country needs. She cries out for loans to be pegged to sustainable development programs which is rational. But development plans that increase Human Development Index (HDI) are not necessarily tied to infrastructure as she claims (Page 59) in her support for the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund. Nigeria, and similar developing countries, may need to measure her economic development with certain Key Performance Indicators that are far different from the ones used for economic growth.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is vast in the sense that she is very much informed of other possible economists challenging her economic policies as she included Odilim Enwegbara's criticism in the book. Economic models, just like financial models, can be unpredictable. They may lead to growth in the Economy yet widen inequality among income earners. This is what some critics may have observed. One critic, Professor Charles Soludo - a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has 'talked down' her achievements in President Obasanjo's administration in the past.
The author has had two golden opportunities to serve in the corridors of power. Her family must be very proud of her - Dad and Mum's sugar girl was politically naive in the way she handled the Fuel Subsidy dilemma as the then President decided to phase out the subsidies in stages contrary to what the author's Economic Management Team had proposed and the President fixed a different day for the announcement.
How do you expect to recruit the best candidates into government parastatals without being opposed by the Quota System advocates? Auntie Ngozi may have led her team transparently in the Nigerian affairs, but transparency is better left to the private sector of the economy.
Dr Ngozi is sympathetic about the Chibok girls scenario and as a mother she probably was the best person placed in the forefront. But from her writings about the executive cabinet, she may be perceived as a feminist - one who may advocate gender equality at every facet of society.
"So telling my story is risky. But not telling it also is dangerous..."
March 17, 2021
Fighting corruption is dangerous is a good read.
Fighting corruption is indeed dangerous but not telling the story is dangerous too. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (NOI) is no doubt an amazon with pedigree and achievements that are really inspiring and worth emulating.
Books outlive authors. Facts not completely spelt out by an author in biographies, memoirs and other books of this nature may end up being distorted later in the future long after the author is gone. It would have been very good if the identity of some individuals NOI clothed with anonymity were unveiled. The world, especially Nigerians, deserve to know who they are so that posterity can rightly place them on the appropriate side of history they deserve to be. Few of such individuals as mentioned in the book include:
1. The senior Naval Chief that took two Middle East ship building company representatives to President Jonathan. His intent was to defraud the country. Nigerians deserve to know his name.
2. The young Nigerian man that sponsored the North African who seemed to have access to important world leaders as mentioned in chapter five.
3. The ranking presidential aide that wanted NOI to reinstate CTN at Apapa port and ordered the closure of the villa gate against NOI. He was too petty. Nigerians deserve to know him.
4. The woman oil marketer that hosted other oil marketers in her house for a meeting where they agreed to make NOI leave office in wheelchair.
A country that wants to truly fight corruption needs to build system and also carry out institutional reforms. Corruption can't be successfully fought by randomly breaking into people's homes in the dead of the night in a gestapo way. The current and subsequent Nigeria government should build on the foundation that has already been laid by NOI.
Kudos to NOI for her successful tenure on both occasions that she served as Minister in Nigeria. The mark she left on the sand of time will be indelible for a very long time. Also, I wish her a successful tenure in her new role as the DG of WTO.
Fighting corruption is indeed dangerous but not telling the story is dangerous too. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (NOI) is no doubt an amazon with pedigree and achievements that are really inspiring and worth emulating.
Books outlive authors. Facts not completely spelt out by an author in biographies, memoirs and other books of this nature may end up being distorted later in the future long after the author is gone. It would have been very good if the identity of some individuals NOI clothed with anonymity were unveiled. The world, especially Nigerians, deserve to know who they are so that posterity can rightly place them on the appropriate side of history they deserve to be. Few of such individuals as mentioned in the book include:
1. The senior Naval Chief that took two Middle East ship building company representatives to President Jonathan. His intent was to defraud the country. Nigerians deserve to know his name.
2. The young Nigerian man that sponsored the North African who seemed to have access to important world leaders as mentioned in chapter five.
3. The ranking presidential aide that wanted NOI to reinstate CTN at Apapa port and ordered the closure of the villa gate against NOI. He was too petty. Nigerians deserve to know him.
4. The woman oil marketer that hosted other oil marketers in her house for a meeting where they agreed to make NOI leave office in wheelchair.
A country that wants to truly fight corruption needs to build system and also carry out institutional reforms. Corruption can't be successfully fought by randomly breaking into people's homes in the dead of the night in a gestapo way. The current and subsequent Nigeria government should build on the foundation that has already been laid by NOI.
Kudos to NOI for her successful tenure on both occasions that she served as Minister in Nigeria. The mark she left on the sand of time will be indelible for a very long time. Also, I wish her a successful tenure in her new role as the DG of WTO.
March 6, 2021
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, recently appointed the first woman Director General of the World Trade Organization.
Her credentials are stellar: an economist, serving twice as the Minister of Finance for Nigeria and a 25 year career with the World Bank.
This book documents her role as Finance Minister, balancing between accountability and strengthening financial systems. I think it is an attempt to set her record straight, as she has been undermined publically and politically numerous times.
Ngozi's leadership style is methodical and comprehensive. She sees value in a country's finance being approached from a multidisciplinary lens, and convinced the President to have health and education ministers represented within the core economic team.
She did forget the environment - it was a missed opportunity and my only criticism in her fiscal approach. But perhaps climate change was not as dominant during her term as it is today.
Ngozi led the investigation into Nigeria's largest oil and subsidy scam, which she claims to have "stepped on the toes of some very rich and powerful people". In 2006 the subsidy cashed $2 billion to companies but increased to $11.2 billion by 2011- accounting to 2.7% of GDP, and staggering 38% of the federal budget. Corrupt payments were made to subsidize shipments of oil that were never delivered.
She was at the receiving end to many threats and intimidation tactics, the constant libel and slanderous claims by local media outlets, and she even stood her ground when her 83 year old mother was kidnapped.
There were many parts I personally found enlightening as an international development practitioner. Ngozi's 25 years in developemt refined her multisectoral knowledge and negotiation skills. Particularly in how she manoeuvred the tensions between the Ministry of Finance she led, her political opponents and her colleagues at the Ministry of Petroleum during the scandal.
Can't wait to see what reforms and contributions she will bring to the WTO.
Her credentials are stellar: an economist, serving twice as the Minister of Finance for Nigeria and a 25 year career with the World Bank.
This book documents her role as Finance Minister, balancing between accountability and strengthening financial systems. I think it is an attempt to set her record straight, as she has been undermined publically and politically numerous times.
Ngozi's leadership style is methodical and comprehensive. She sees value in a country's finance being approached from a multidisciplinary lens, and convinced the President to have health and education ministers represented within the core economic team.
She did forget the environment - it was a missed opportunity and my only criticism in her fiscal approach. But perhaps climate change was not as dominant during her term as it is today.
Ngozi led the investigation into Nigeria's largest oil and subsidy scam, which she claims to have "stepped on the toes of some very rich and powerful people". In 2006 the subsidy cashed $2 billion to companies but increased to $11.2 billion by 2011- accounting to 2.7% of GDP, and staggering 38% of the federal budget. Corrupt payments were made to subsidize shipments of oil that were never delivered.
She was at the receiving end to many threats and intimidation tactics, the constant libel and slanderous claims by local media outlets, and she even stood her ground when her 83 year old mother was kidnapped.
There were many parts I personally found enlightening as an international development practitioner. Ngozi's 25 years in developemt refined her multisectoral knowledge and negotiation skills. Particularly in how she manoeuvred the tensions between the Ministry of Finance she led, her political opponents and her colleagues at the Ministry of Petroleum during the scandal.
Can't wait to see what reforms and contributions she will bring to the WTO.
February 5, 2021
Ngozi had always been all about diligence. I expected the challenges she faced and expected her to have preempted them all. But I suppose when you're too busy doing good you forget evil pays other's bills.
It's sad that long after this first public calling out of major institutions mysteriously protected by the sovereign, transparency still hasn't come a long way.
As usual, the pettiness of people long held in high regard even though not explicitly stated but subtly conveyed puts a disappointing end to any respect accorded them.
There are so many one sided narratives of events that transpired in this period and as happy and grateful to NOI as I am for this work, we certainly do need more accounts and points of view of significant things that happened during the administrations of both presidents.
Needless to say this unearths a lot of what is meant when people say that Nigeria is a difficult country to run and by all accounts yes it is.
Most certainly a must read for anyone trying to understand the Nigerian economic space.
=======EDIT========
A few hours after I published this review, the CBN released a circular to the public effectively stopping crypto exchanges from dealing. The circular was typical of the communication relationship Nigerian's have had with their leaders since the 4th republic.
Ngozi laments this communication aspect as being one of their failures in both administrations when she served. An excellent policy measure designed to make healthy what is weak, but taken in the wrong way by the very Nigerian's it was supposed to benefit, the masses aren't and cannot be expected to appreciate the macro-economic view of issues. It is the responsibility of the drivers of the economy and country to figure out a way to communicate these issues effectively.
It's sad that long after this first public calling out of major institutions mysteriously protected by the sovereign, transparency still hasn't come a long way.
As usual, the pettiness of people long held in high regard even though not explicitly stated but subtly conveyed puts a disappointing end to any respect accorded them.
There are so many one sided narratives of events that transpired in this period and as happy and grateful to NOI as I am for this work, we certainly do need more accounts and points of view of significant things that happened during the administrations of both presidents.
Needless to say this unearths a lot of what is meant when people say that Nigeria is a difficult country to run and by all accounts yes it is.
Most certainly a must read for anyone trying to understand the Nigerian economic space.
=======EDIT========
A few hours after I published this review, the CBN released a circular to the public effectively stopping crypto exchanges from dealing. The circular was typical of the communication relationship Nigerian's have had with their leaders since the 4th republic.
Ngozi laments this communication aspect as being one of their failures in both administrations when she served. An excellent policy measure designed to make healthy what is weak, but taken in the wrong way by the very Nigerian's it was supposed to benefit, the masses aren't and cannot be expected to appreciate the macro-economic view of issues. It is the responsibility of the drivers of the economy and country to figure out a way to communicate these issues effectively.
April 20, 2023
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's account of the fight against corruption in Nigeria is a powerful and insightful read. As one of the highest ranking officials in the Johnathan administration, she offers a front-line perspective on the Herculean task of tackling corruption in one of Africa's most complex socio-political environments.
From the attempt to phase out subsidy to the implementation of an integrated payroll system and confronting massive oil scams, NOI gives a detailed account of the events that shaped the administration. She also shares her more direct struggles, including the kidnapping of her mother in a bid to blackmail her to resign from her post.
The fight against corruption in Nigeria is an incredibly challenging one, and NOI's firsthand account sheds light on the progress made by the administration despite the vested interests and aggressive responses from those whose interests were being tampered with. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in Nigeria's political and economic landscape, as well as the global fight against corruption.
From the attempt to phase out subsidy to the implementation of an integrated payroll system and confronting massive oil scams, NOI gives a detailed account of the events that shaped the administration. She also shares her more direct struggles, including the kidnapping of her mother in a bid to blackmail her to resign from her post.
The fight against corruption in Nigeria is an incredibly challenging one, and NOI's firsthand account sheds light on the progress made by the administration despite the vested interests and aggressive responses from those whose interests were being tampered with. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in Nigeria's political and economic landscape, as well as the global fight against corruption.
September 17, 2025
This book was an eye-opener. It called names, pointed to real situations, and carried a sense of purpose far above the average Nigerian political memoir. She wasn’t one of those in denial about Goodluck Jonathan’s loss in the 2015 elections. There was no bitterness in her voice—just plain facts.
You also see her professionalism and sterling character on every page. Nigeria is blessed to have her. That was evident during her time in government. It feels almost unbelievable now, but Nigeria was once growing at 6%–7%. Today, that sounds like rocket science. It feels like centuries ago.
What stood out most for me were her recommendations at the end on how to fight corruption. Those are gems—gems forged from experience. If you plan to work in government or in the anti-corruption struggle, that part of the book is indispensable. Of course, read the entire book, but don’t skip that section.
You’ll also find plenty of sharp insights here, along with solid storytelling about how corruption was actually fought.
You also see her professionalism and sterling character on every page. Nigeria is blessed to have her. That was evident during her time in government. It feels almost unbelievable now, but Nigeria was once growing at 6%–7%. Today, that sounds like rocket science. It feels like centuries ago.
What stood out most for me were her recommendations at the end on how to fight corruption. Those are gems—gems forged from experience. If you plan to work in government or in the anti-corruption struggle, that part of the book is indispensable. Of course, read the entire book, but don’t skip that section.
You’ll also find plenty of sharp insights here, along with solid storytelling about how corruption was actually fought.
September 11, 2018
I’m glad I read this book because it was informative. However, former CME is giving her personal account! The chibok girls case is still a very sensitive case and I think she was trying to dilute the situation which is expected because she was part of that government. Their response to the chibok girls situation was very appalling. She was writing like the former President GEJ talks, like he’s naive. Like every government since May 1999, misplaced priorities is a major issue. You want to build school for girls that are missing. How about finding those girls first? How about paying teachers and pay importance to the teaching job??? Teachers shape our tomorrow leaders and not politicians!
Well, like I earlier said, this is just her personal testimony about her times in government.
Well, like I earlier said, this is just her personal testimony about her times in government.
March 16, 2019
Interesting - an effort by Okonjo-Iweala to defend her record amidst accusations by her critics of corruption and mismanagement on her part. She highlights the personal sacrifices she made to guide Nigeria's finances (the whole serve my country rhetoric), and the challenges she encountered in trying to do so. I found it particularly amusing that she name drops all her political opponents, without any sort of reserve or hesitance. You can see that Okonjo-Iweala is really not trying to make any friends with this book.
Nevertheless, I found it hard to engage with this book, it wasn't particularly well-written, and I got bored half-way through it. It was insightful, but not as insightful as I hoped, and I wasn't willing to engage with a, largely, defensive piece of writing.
Nevertheless, I found it hard to engage with this book, it wasn't particularly well-written, and I got bored half-way through it. It was insightful, but not as insightful as I hoped, and I wasn't willing to engage with a, largely, defensive piece of writing.
June 13, 2022
as someone with little knowledge of Nigeria’s economy, and economics in general, this book was really engaging, well written and accessible
it’s difficult to conclude an opinion with little knowledge of the wider context or the country’s politics, but i can say that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s story as told in this book is thought-provoking & inspiring. she really conveys the complexities around fighting corruption from an institutional base, the personal implications on public servants, and the nature of public policy making and implementation
overall i feel very inspired by her integrity and dedication to public service. this book has left me with many thoughts and philosophical questions which i will defo carry with me into my own career in public service
it’s difficult to conclude an opinion with little knowledge of the wider context or the country’s politics, but i can say that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s story as told in this book is thought-provoking & inspiring. she really conveys the complexities around fighting corruption from an institutional base, the personal implications on public servants, and the nature of public policy making and implementation
overall i feel very inspired by her integrity and dedication to public service. this book has left me with many thoughts and philosophical questions which i will defo carry with me into my own career in public service
March 6, 2019
Disappointing considering the hype this books got. This was more of a rebuttal of her criticism by the media. I expected an explosive and in-depth description of what happened under her watch regarding the Chibok girls, Dasuki Gate, Oil subsidy scam. Her attempt to hide names and discoveries regarding vested interests and corrupt persons just taints an otherwise good write up. She should’ve taken a cue from El-Rufai’s Accidental Public Servant and published a well detailed novel highlighting the so called vested interests, their companies , with Palmer trails and evidences in spirit of transparency and accountability like she often advocates.
October 12, 2019
This is a concise and informative read showing how difficult it is to make things work in a country like Nigeria where an elite few profit off blatant, everyday corrupt practices.
It must be mentioned that Ngozi Okonjo Iweala used this medium to provide us with her own side of the story given how she was constantly slated and accused in the media - any Nigerian who lived in Nigeria between 2011 and 2015 would be aware of this. This is probably why (as some other reviewers have mentioned) she sounded a little self-righteous sometimes.
In all, what was written corresponded with what was on ground during that time period thereby validating the account and proving her integrity.
It must be mentioned that Ngozi Okonjo Iweala used this medium to provide us with her own side of the story given how she was constantly slated and accused in the media - any Nigerian who lived in Nigeria between 2011 and 2015 would be aware of this. This is probably why (as some other reviewers have mentioned) she sounded a little self-righteous sometimes.
In all, what was written corresponded with what was on ground during that time period thereby validating the account and proving her integrity.
February 9, 2022
First off , this book was a gift. 😊
Now, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is so matter of fact , thorough and with no agenda whatsoever but to do the job and do it exceptionally well. These reflections on fighting corruption are not only a gripping and moving personal story of stress and courage but a deeply thoughtful and constructive analysis of a fundamental aspect of economic development.
Finally, this book reminds me of the agikuyu saying , “ Wa Mûingì ûkuwagwo na Magoto", which loosely translates to , “the public load is carried with fiber, that way you can easily drop it off when it gets to heavy”. Because , sometimes one tends to constantly wonder if it is all worth it in the end .
Now, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is so matter of fact , thorough and with no agenda whatsoever but to do the job and do it exceptionally well. These reflections on fighting corruption are not only a gripping and moving personal story of stress and courage but a deeply thoughtful and constructive analysis of a fundamental aspect of economic development.
Finally, this book reminds me of the agikuyu saying , “ Wa Mûingì ûkuwagwo na Magoto", which loosely translates to , “the public load is carried with fiber, that way you can easily drop it off when it gets to heavy”. Because , sometimes one tends to constantly wonder if it is all worth it in the end .
June 19, 2023
In this book, Dr. Ngozi gives us a rundown of events that transpired during her second stint as Nigeria's finance minister. This book is easy to follow through and you don't need any Economics degree to understand economic or fiscal terms/policies that was spoken of.
Dr. Iweala gives account on her attempts to curb financial leakage, improve foreign reserves and plan for Nigeria's Economic future. However, there is pushback from unscrupulous actors who capitalize on Nigeria's weak institutions and lack of transparency to divert public resources to themselves.
Will definitely read again.
Dr. Iweala gives account on her attempts to curb financial leakage, improve foreign reserves and plan for Nigeria's Economic future. However, there is pushback from unscrupulous actors who capitalize on Nigeria's weak institutions and lack of transparency to divert public resources to themselves.
Will definitely read again.
March 15, 2022
The book gives you an insight into the office of the minister of finance during the Goodluck Jonathan's administration and how she fought corruption and corrupt officials and the consequences that fighting Corruption in a chronically corrupt country like Nigeria (my country).
She did justice by giving both sides of the story and even news articles critical of her. I respected that.
And I'll read her other book next because I've enjoyed this very much. The book is "Reforming the Unreformable..."
She did justice by giving both sides of the story and even news articles critical of her. I respected that.
And I'll read her other book next because I've enjoyed this very much. The book is "Reforming the Unreformable..."
April 11, 2023
A sort of memoir by madam Finance Minister herself detailing her experiences as the country's minister under the Goodluck Jonathan administration and also little of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
Fighting corruption is as dangerous as it gets. Okonjo-Iweala described the events that went on before, during and after her time as Finance Minister—and even what happens behind the scenes. We really have a long to go to tackle this issue.
Although most of the economics part weren't too easy for me to grasp, it was a fine book.
Fighting corruption is as dangerous as it gets. Okonjo-Iweala described the events that went on before, during and after her time as Finance Minister—and even what happens behind the scenes. We really have a long to go to tackle this issue.
Although most of the economics part weren't too easy for me to grasp, it was a fine book.
June 30, 2018
Feels like Part 2 of ‘Reforming The Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria’. Nevertheless, ‘Mama’ bravely elaborates her experiences and difficulties at the helm of the affairs of the Nigerian economy. This time focusing on the opposition she faced while fighting grand corruption in Nigeria. Her accounts are vivid and intriguing. She attempts to exonerate herself from several accusations leveled at her from political rivals, but I’d thread with caution to think she was a saint in all of that.
January 28, 2019
This book was beautifully written. I had to take my time reading because there were several Nigerian government agencies that had similar abbreviations and they were all starting to flow together.
I learned so much from the book and even got a better understanding of my family’s country (Haiti) by reading about the difficulties in Nigeria.
It was a solid read and I’m glad I challenged myself to read something out of my realm.
I learned so much from the book and even got a better understanding of my family’s country (Haiti) by reading about the difficulties in Nigeria.
It was a solid read and I’m glad I challenged myself to read something out of my realm.
Read
March 12, 2023This is one book I am more than willing to share for others to read even when I have to buy them a copy despite my financial constraint. It is a book every reasonable Nigerian must read and pass on for others to do same. Thanks to the author who despite every attempt to intimidate and scare her off from her Ministerial position all because she stood for the truth and her desire to liberate the poor citizens of Nigeria. God bless you ma
April 28, 2023
I love to read autobiographies and books by highly accomplished figure because is one way of gaining insight, the former coordinating and finance minister Dr.Okonjo - Iwaela has really told the story behind the scene, enlightened the world about the economic issues and the way she handled it, the victimization and plots one face when dare to challenge and go against vested interest. The book is quite a blueprint to anti-corruption advocate.
May 12, 2022
The book would be a great read for a political science class, as it was less about Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and more of a window into the recklessness of Nigerian politics. I can appreciate that. Yet, I’m hoping one day we get a book from her focused less on explaining herself and more on how she became aware of herself.
https://www.itsseunshokunbi.com/leadi...
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