The World Bank’s crusader in Nigeria

The World Bank’s country director in Nigeria blogs on corruption…and Batman. More on the latter, actually: Recently, I was asked whether I thought Nigeria’s problems would be solved if only we managed to fight corruption effectively. I responded that this alone would not be enough. That while important for sure, other problems needed to be tackled as well. The next ...

By , a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

The World Bank's country director in Nigeria blogs on corruption...and Batman. More on the latter, actually:

The World Bank’s country director in Nigeria blogs on corruption…and Batman. More on the latter, actually:

Recently, I was asked whether I thought Nigeria’s problems would be solved if only we managed to fight corruption effectively. I responded that this alone would not be enough. That while important for sure, other problems needed to be tackled as well. The next day a headline in one of the papers read “World Bank says corruption not Nigeria’s Bane.” After I had looked up what "bane" meant, I realized my response had been misunderstood.

Bane, also the name of one of Batman’s nemeses, means ‘spoiler’ in English." Since corruption essentially entails those who have power stealing from those who don’t, I think it is reasonable to expect that Batman would fight the corrupt. Consequently, corruption must be Nigeria’s Bane. The fact that Nigeria and Batman have other enemies as well does not diminish the importance of fighting this terrible spoiler. [snip]

So if Batman also has to fight the Joker, does that make Bane less of an enemy? Clearly not. In fact, those who are familiar with Batman lore know well that Bane was resposible for breaking Batman’s back. The powerful who steal from the powerless are indeed a terrible adversary; Nigeria, like others, must fight them vigilantly to succeed. At the World Bank, we certainly try to do our part, both in our own programs where we have a policy of zero tolerance for corruption, as well as by working extensively with partners, including Nigeria, to support their fight against this brutal nemesis. 

Of course, if I were battling corruption in Nigeria I’d probably seek refuge in the occasional comic book. 

David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist

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