The World Justice Project (WJP) released its latest global Rule of Law Index, revealing that Nigeria is currently positioned 120th out of 142 countries in terms of adherence to the rule of law.
The rankings also indicate that within the sub-Saharan region, Nigeria holds the 23rd spot out of the 34 countries that were evaluated.
The 2023 index, unveiled on October 25 in Washington DC, USA, assessed countries based on eight indicators, including constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.
Although Nigeria’s score showed an increase, it slipped by two points from the 2022 index, where it was ranked 118th out of 140 countries globally.
“This is the sixth consecutive Index marking global declines in the rule of law. This year alone, the rule of law declined in 59 per cent of countries surveyed. However, Nigeria is among the minority of countries to see its Rule of Law Index score increase this year,” the report stated.
Globally, Denmark holds the top rank in the 2023 WJP Rule of Law Index, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany.
The country with the lowest score is Venezuela, along with Cambodia, Afghanistan, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Regarding constraints on government powers, Nigeria secured the 85th position out of 142 countries globally and ranked 14th out of 34 countries in the Sub-Saharan region.
“Over the past seven years, index scores for constraints on government powers have fallen in 74% of countries—including Nigeria. Around the world, legislatures, judiciaries, and civil society—including the media—have all lost ground on checking executive power,” the report stated.
“These and other authoritarian trends continued in 2023, but they are slowing, with fewer countries declining in 2022 and 2023 than in earlier years. Constraints on Government Powers fell in 56 per cent of countries, compared to 58 per cent in 2022 and 70 per cent in 2021. Likewise, a smaller majority of countries saw overall rule of law declines in this year (59 per cent) as compared to the last two (61 per cent and 74 per cent),” WJP stated.
William Neukom, the co-founder and President of WJP, explained that “the world remains gripped by a rule of law recession characterized by executive overreach, curtailing of human rights, and justice systems that are failing to meet people’s needs.”
In terms of absence of corruption, Nigeria ranked 121st out of 142 countries globally and 23rd out of 34 countries regionally. In the open government category, Nigeria holds the 104th position globally and 14th regionally.