The Halliburton Scandal: Unraveling Nigeria’s Multi-Million Dollar Bribery Scheme

In 1994, the Nigerian government initiated plans to build the Bonny Island Natural Liquefied Gas Project. Halliburton, through its then-subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR), was part of a consortium called TSKJ that bid for the construction contracts.

The Halliburton Scandal in Nigeria, also known as the KBR-Halliburton Bribery Scandal, involved a complex scheme of bribery and corruption related to the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on Bonny Island, Nigeria.

• The bribery scheme involved payments of approximately $180 million to Nigerian officials in exchange for $6 billion in construction contracts.

• The bribes were funneled through a complex system of sham consulting agreements with foreign companies.

• Multiple countries were involved in the investigations, including the United States, France, and Nigeria.

• The scandal implicated high-ranking Nigerian officials, including former military head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

• Several individuals and companies were fined, but many Nigerian officials implicated were not prosecuted.

The Halliburton Scandal remains one of the most significant corporate bribery cases in history, demonstrating the far-reaching consequences of corruption in international business dealings.