The Presidency on Thursday responded to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index which placed Nigeria 149 out of the 180 countries surveyed.
The TI data suggested that Nigeria’s corruption situation had worsened.
However, in a statement, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said the Muhammadu Buhari administration deserves credit for reducing corruption in the country.
According to Shehu, the TI report was not an accurate portrayal of the facts on the ground.
The statement invited Nigerians to stand with an administration that has done so much on asset recovery, prosecution, legislation, political will and leadership by example in the fight against corruption.
It also urged friends in the media, development partners and the civil society organizations to continue to support efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency, ethical values and integrity in Nigeria’s public sector.