The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in collaboration with the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, officially launched the Anti-Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Governments (ACPPLG). This initiative aims to enhance financial transparency, accountability, and good governance across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs).
In his address, the Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, underscored the critical need for reform at the local government level. He revealed that over 60% of corruption cases investigated by the ICPC involved the diversion of funds intended for essential services such as healthcare and infrastructure. Dr. Aliyu emphasized that the Supreme Court’s July 2024 ruling on local government financial autonomy presents a unique opportunity to address these challenges by ensuring direct disbursement of funds to local councils, thereby eliminating undue state interference.
The ICPC boss highlighted that the ACPPLG is designed to detect and prevent the misuse of public funds, ensuring that resources allocated for national development are judiciously applied. He stressed that the ACPPLG will establish monitoring mechanisms to track governance performance, and fosters inclusivity by ensuring marginalized groups participate in decision-making.
He said that ACPPLG will focus on five key governance areas including Fiscal Transparency, Open Procurement, Human Resources, Citizen Engagement and Control of Corruption. These pillars, he said, will serve as benchmarks for assessing local government performance and ensuring adherence to best practices.
On its part, the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, serving as a technical partner, will champion the monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the ACPPLG. The Center’s Executive Director, Dr. Umar Yakubu, while presenting the electronic monitoring dashboard, noted that the Center will also support in building capacity of local government officials to institutionalize fiscal transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.
Other key stakeholders also expressed their support for the initiative. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, M.B. Abubakar, lauded the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming financial autonomy for local governments as a significant step toward enhancing their capacity to deliver essential services. He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to promoting transparency and good governance at all levels.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, Emmanuel Udende, represented at the event by Sen. Anthony Siyako Yaro affirmed the legislature’s dedication to enacting and strengthening laws that promote accountability and transparency. He assured that the committee would work to support policies ensuring responsible management of public funds, with a focus on translating local government allocations into tangible development outcomes.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Kayode Akiolu, described the ACPPLG as a timely and relevant initiative. He pointed out that, despite numerous reforms, local governments have continued to struggle in delivering on their mandate due to challenges such as state government interference. Akiolu called for collective efforts to make the local government system more effective and responsive to the needs of the people.
The Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Ms. Hafsat Bakari pledged support of the Unit to the ACPPLG by tracking monetary allocations to the 774 LGAs.
Other dignitaries present at the launch include the heads of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Agora Policy; representatives of United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC, Nigeria), Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), civil society organizations and media.