The Sociology of Corruption and Its Effects on Public Service Delivery in Kaduna State

Corruption in Nigerian public institutions has been extensively documented as a barrier to development, yet its sociological dimensions, particularly how social norms and institutional cultures enable and reproduce corrupt practices, remain understudied at the state level. This study examines the sociology of corruption and its effects on public service delivery in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. A mixed-methods design was employed, with structured questionnaires administered to 310 civil servants across five state ministries, complemented by ten semi-structured interviews with civil society representatives monitoring public accountability. The Institutional Anomie Theory was applied as the primary theoretical framework. Results indicate that 78% of respondents reported personal knowledge of corrupt transactions within their ministries, while 64% had been directly involved as either paying or receiving parties in the preceding year. Procurement fraud, ghost workers on payroll, and facilitation payments for service delivery were the three most commonly cited corrupt practices. A culture of silence enforced through peer solidarity and fear of victimization was identified as the primary mechanism normalizing corruption. Service delivery quality in surveyed ministries was consistently rated as poor by respondents who attributed inadequacy directly to resource diversion. Respondents with higher institutional tenure demonstrated greater normalization of corruption, suggesting acculturative effects. Recommendations include strengthening of the Kaduna State Public Complaints Commission with independent investigative authority, mandatory ethics training integrated into civil service induction, and anonymous whistleblower protection channels. Keywords: corruption, public service, Kaduna State, institutional culture, accountability.