Nigeria Must Strengthen Anti-Corruption Agencies, Says CISLAC

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called on the Nigerian government to ensure that anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) operate independently and are free from political interference.

The recommendation was made by CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), during the release of Transparency International’s (TI) 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in Abuja. He stressed the need for adequate funding and support for these agencies to combat corruption effectively.

Musa outlined several measures to enhance Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework, including swift and fair trials for corruption cases.

„Judicial integrity monitoring, including whistleblowing mechanisms and asset disclosure.

He said „Impartial investigations into security sector corruption „ are necessary to address the country’s worsening security situation.

„Strict enforcement of the Public Procurement Act 2007, with complete digitisation and public access to government contracts and budgets.

„Establishment of a national asset database under the Proceeds of Crime (and Management) Act 2022, ensuring public access to information.“