By Nkechi Eze
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has praised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for its exceptional leadership in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, particularly in asset recovery and preventive initiatives.
In an official statement issued by the Commission’s Spokesperson, J. Okor Odey, the commendation was delivered by the UNODC Country Representative, Mr Cheikh Toure, during a courtesy visit to the ICPC headquarters on Monday in Abuja.
Mr Toure applauded the Commission’s resilience and commitment to combating corruption despite the complex challenges confronting the nation. He stated that no country currently recovers stolen assets as effectively as Nigeria, attributing this to ICPC’s strong institutional capacity and its credible representation of the country at global anti-corruption platforms.
According to him, “ICPC is a good custodian of the provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, and your work in securing high-profile convictions demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to the anti-corruption war.”
He further commended ICPC’s preventive measures, particularly the Anti-Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Government (ACPP-LG), noting that the initiative has significantly impacted governance at the grassroots. He expressed UNODC’s readiness to work closely with the Commission to strengthen the programme, stressing the need to prioritise interventions that target youths, who constitute over 70 percent of Nigeria’s population.
Mr Toure also highlighted UNODC’s convening power in harmonising stakeholder perspectives on issues of mutual concern. He extended an invitation to ICPC for the next stakeholders’ meeting on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs), to be hosted by the Embassy of Finland. He disclosed that UNODC’s five-year plan contains more than 400 action points available for collaboration with the Commission, spanning areas such as sub-national anti-corruption systems, intelligence capacity building, wildlife crime, institutional strengthening, and the creation of a digital knowledge repository to enhance organisational performance.
Responding, ICPC Chairman Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, expressed appreciation for the visit and described UNODC as “a dependable partner of the Commission.” He reaffirmed ICPC’s readiness to deepen collaboration, especially in strengthening local government autonomy as a strategic tool to curb corruption at the grassroots.
Dr Aliyu revealed that the Commission had recovered substantial sums for the country in tax and pension-related matters while also blocking several corruption loopholes across government agencies. He emphasised the Commission’s strong focus on youth and women, noting that a major anti-corruption initiative was conducted last year in partnership with the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
He identified technology as a critical frontier in the fight against corruption, particularly with the increasing influence of artificial intelligence. He disclosed that ICPC had recently deployed an AI-powered chatbot on its website and welcomed additional support from UNODC to advance technological innovations.
“The Commission strives to maintain integrity and transparency in all its operations to sustain public confidence. Our third-place ranking in the deployment of the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard reflects this commitment,” he said.
