Combating corruption in the Nigerian Civil Service

Purpose: The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the treasury single account (TSA) policy in curbing corruption in some selected federal ministries and agencies in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: The study used both primary and secondary sources of data and a cross-sectional survey research design. Purposive sampling was the technique adopted to select a total of 192 respondents. The questionnaire was the instrument used in data collection. The information gathered was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences in generating simple percentage and correlation analysis. Findings: The results indicate a relationship between the implementation of TSA policy and reduction in the level of unregulated cash flow and leakages as well as decline in pilfering, embezzlement, fraud and forgery among employees of the selected institutions. In addition, it was also found that the TSA policy does not have substantial impact on the level of bribery and inflation of contracts and procurement. Practical implications: The study suggests that other anti-corruption policies should be strengthened to support the TSA policy in eradicating other hidden corruption crimes in the Nigerian public sectors. Originality/value: This paper is one of the few academic investigations that empirically explored the effectiveness of the TSA policy in curbing corruption crimes in Nigeria.