225 THE NEXUS OF CORRUPTION AND POVERTY IN THE QUEST FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA Anthony Abayomi Adebayo Department of Sociology, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria ABSTRACT Corruption retards a nation. It breeds poverty and impedes national development. Since independence, Nigeria has been bedevilled with massive corruption by the political elite, who have impoverished the nation. The paper investigates the reality of corruption in Nigeria and its connection with poverty and underdevelopment. As a result of unrelenting corruption, majority of Nigerians are confined to living below the poverty line. The study proffers that social reformation and re-engineering of the nation and its populace both young and old is essential for the eradication of poverty and foster accelerated national development. Keywords: Corruption, National Development, Poverty, Underdevelopment, Political elite Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa (Volume 15, No.7, 2013) ISSN: 1520-5509 Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, Pennsylvania