Corruption, Professional Social Work and Social Welfare Delivery in Nigeria: A Qualitative Analysis of Institutional Barriers to Social Justice
International Journal of Social Work and Development Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2026
Published: 2026/07/23
DOI: https://doi.org/10.67007/ijsds-2026-v2_i1_008
Abstract
Corruption remains a significant institutional challenge that weakens social welfare systems and constrains the capacity of professional social workers to promote social justice in Nigeria. Despite sustained anti-corruption initiatives and the expansion of social protection programmes, governance failures continue to limit equitable access to welfare services for vulnerable populations. Although corruption has been widely examined from governance and public administration perspectives, its implications for professional social work and welfare delivery have received comparatively limited scholarly attention. This study examines how institutional corruption shapes professional social work practice and undermines social welfare delivery in Nigeria. The study adopted a qualitative desk research design based on a systematic review and thematic analysis of contemporary peer-reviewed literature, government publications, policy documents, and reports from international organizations. The analysis was guided by an integrated theoretical framework comprising Institutional Theory, Street-Level Bureaucracy Theory, Social Justice Theory, and Good Governance Theory, culminating in the development of the Institutional Social Welfare Effectiveness Framework (ISWEF). The findings indicate that corruption is embedded within institutional governance through political patronage, bureaucratic inefficiency, elite capture, weak accountability mechanisms, inadequate funding, and fragmented administrative structures. These institutional weaknesses constrain the professional autonomy and ethical responsibilities of social workers, reduce organizational effectiveness, and limit equitable access to welfare programmes for children, women, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, older persons, and low-income households. The study further demonstrates that corruption undermines social justice by reinforcing exclusion, inequality, and multidimensional poverty. The study concludes that improving social welfare delivery requires comprehensive institutional reforms that strengthen governance, accountability, professional social work, and transparent welfare administration. It proposes the Institutional Social Welfare Effectiveness Framework (ISWEF) as a conceptual model for explaining the relationship between institutional governance, corruption, professional social work, and social welfare outcomes.
Keywords: Institutional corruption, Professional social work, Social welfare delivery, Institutional governance, Social justice, Accountability