Philip Nyam 
The National Anti-Corruption Conference has urged the National Assembly to urgently pass the Whistleblower and Witness Protection Bill into law, while calling for comprehensive systemic reforms and enhanced collaboration among anti-corruption bodies to effectively tackle corruption in Nigeria.
The three-day conference, hosted by the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption in collaboration with Focal Insights Management Services, took place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The conference, themed “Fostering Collaboration in Enhancing Transparency within MDAs”, provided a critical platform to address the institutionalization of corruption within Nigeria’s public sector.
The call for legislative action and systemic reforms was articulated in a joint communiqué signed by key figures, including Anselm Ego Onyimonyi of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (Chairman), Musa Usman Kamaye of Federal Medical Centre Daura, Nkem Ezenwa of the ICPC, and Akinrosotu Olasimbo of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development (Secretary).
The conference focused on the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), a structural innovation designed to serve as an internal watchdog against corruption.
Despite its purpose, the capacity of ACTU has been severely undermined, according to conference delegates.
Several challenges were identified, including a lack of specific budgetary allocations, inadequate training opportunities, uneven remuneration across agencies, and the absence of whistleblower protection mechanisms.
Participants also expressed concern that poor performances by MDAs on the ICPC’s Integrity Scorecard have gone unpunished, with some viewing this as a deliberate effort to undermine anti-corruption initiatives.
Key recommendations to address these issues included mandating specific budget lines for ACTU in all MDAs, with any failure to allocate funds being treated as sabotage and escalated to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). Delegates also called for the revival of the National Anti-Corruption Conference, which was previously jointly organized by the National Assembly and the ICPC. They proposed regional hosting of future events with mandatory participation by ACTU members.
Further proposals included imposing stringent ICPC sanctions on MDAs that underperform for three consecutive years, encouraging CEOs to deploy technological solutions such as Artificial Intelligence tools and biometric attendance systems to enhance transparency, and ensuring proper funding and harmonized allowances for ACTU members.
Additionally, delegates called for an amendment to the Procurement Act to include ACTU members as observers during procurement processes, ensuring greater oversight and accountability.
Olabode Oluwashola, the Programmes Lead Consultant, urged the National Assembly to adopt and legislate the policy recommendations from the conference, stressing that such laws would strengthen anti-corruption efforts and promote transparency within MDAs.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Moshood Akiolu, emphasized that the fight against corruption cannot be won through isolated efforts. “No single entity or agency can tackle the pervasive nature of corruption alone,” he stated.
Mainasara Kogo, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, delivered the keynote address, proposing the creation of a Joint Task Force to unify the efforts of various anti-corruption bodies, a proposal widely supported by other participants.
Musa Aliyu, SAN, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), represented by Demola Bakare, underscored the need for institutional synergy to restore public trust in government institutions.
