By Sarah NEGEDU
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, have explained how it blocked N1.6 billion from being diverted by some government officials.
The feat, the chairman of the commission, Musa Aliyu, said was achieved through the use of technology-based interventions.
Though the ICPC boss did not disclose the ministry or government agency involved in the blocked N1.6 billion, he said the success highlights the growing role of technology in Nigeria’s anti-corruption war.
A statement on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Demola Bakare said Aliyu spoke during a courtesy visit by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Khalil Halilu.
He maintained that corruption in the country cannot be fought without being smart. “We cannot fight corruption without being smart. We know the increasing use of technology in committing corrupt acts, but we are also leveraging the same technology to fight back. Because of the deployment of technological tools, we were able to block N1.6 billion that could have been stolen, “Aliyu was quoted as saying.
While noting that technology has increasingly become a double-edged sword—used to both perpetrate and combat corruption, the ICPC boss stressed the urgent need for strategic alliances.
He identified NASENI as a key potential partner, capable of developing custom tech solutions to enhance transparency and accountability in governance.
Aliyu proposed a Joint Innovation Task Team between the two agencies to identify priority areas of collaboration and ensure sustainable engagement.
He also called for cooperation in tracking public funds and monitoring procurement processes, which he said account for “seventy to eighty per cent of corruption cases.”
Another key area of proposed collaboration is the development of a secure whistleblower platform to aid intelligence gathering and tip-offs.
“First, I would like us to collaborate in the tracking of public funds and procurement processes. 70 to 80 percent of corruption happens in the area of procurement. Second, we need to design a secure whistleblower platform, because we cannot fight corruption without access to information,” Aliyu said.
He also pledged ICPC’s support to strengthen NASENI’s internal Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit, underscoring the Commission’s willingness to back reforms that boost accountability across MDAs.
Responding, the Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Khalil Halilu, expressed optimism about the proposed partnership, assuring the ICPC of his agency’s readiness to provide technical expertise.
He emphasized the importance of digitalizing internal processes to reduce risks such as document leakage and ensure greater operational efficiency.
“We are keen to extend our partnership to the ICPC. “We would be happy to share our knowledge and experience in this area,” he said.
Nigeria was ranked 140th position out of 180 countries in the world on the 2024 corruption perceptions index, according to a report by Transparency International.
The TI’s ranking released in February this year sees the continent’s most populous nation move up 5 spots when compared with 2023 ‘s report and 10 spots as against 2022’s report.
Corruption, however, remains rampant in the country despite anti-graft agencies and successive governments’ effort to stamp out the cankerworm.
