By Nkechi Eze
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has reaffirmed the Commission’s resolve to deepen its strategic partnership with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) as part of efforts to entrench transparency, accountability and integrity in Nigeria’s extractive industries.
Dr. Aliyu gave the assurance while receiving the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Hon. Musa Sarkin Adar, and members of the Initiative’s senior management team during a courtesy visit to the ICPC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday. According to an official statement signed by the Spokesperson and Head of Media and Public Communications of the ICPC, Mr. J. Okor Odey, the visit underscored the shared commitment of both institutions to ensuring that Nigeria’s natural resources are managed in line with the highest standards of probity.
Welcoming the delegation, the ICPC Chairman described the relationship between the two bodies as one rooted in mutual respect and strategic necessity, noting that the engagement further reinforced their collective resolve to confront corruption challenges, particularly within the oil, gas and mining sectors. He stated that the Commission considers NEITI a critical ally in tackling systemic corruption across the extractive industries, stressing that the Initiative’s audit reports provide the vital data-driven foundation needed to identify revenue leakages and shape effective preventive, investigative and enforcement actions.
Dr. Aliyu highlighted the operationalisation of the Special Extractive Industry Desk within the ICPC as one of the most significant outcomes of the partnership. Established specifically to act on findings from NEITI’s audits, the desk, he explained, represents a shift from merely reporting infractions to ensuring concrete remedial action. By integrating NEITI’s forensic data with the ICPC’s investigative and prosecutorial mandate, he said, both institutions are increasingly translating audit findings into tangible results.
The ICPC Chairman further emphasised that Nigerians legitimately expect the country’s natural wealth to translate into visible national development. He noted that the collaboration between ICPC and NEITI remains one of the most effective instruments for meeting this expectation, assuring the NEITI leadership of the Commission’s continued openness to deeper cooperation and expressing optimism that sustained engagement would yield even more impactful outcomes.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Hon. Musa Sarkin Adar, described the visit as timely, coming as Nigeria prepares for the 2026 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Validation exercise. He explained that the global validation process requires clear evidence of anti-corruption measures, preventive actions and effective follow-up on governance weaknesses identified through audits and disclosures.
Hon. Sarkin Adar noted that since its establishment, NEITI has recognised that transparency alone is insufficient without strong preventive mechanisms and institutional accountability, especially in sectors characterised by high corruption risks. He stated that NEITI is seeking the ICPC’s continued collaboration in deploying its audit reports for preventive interventions, enforcement actions where necessary, and the monitoring of remedial measures arising from audit findings, stressing that such cooperation is crucial to demonstrating Nigeria’s commitment to accountability under the global EITI Standard.
The NEITI Executive Secretary further observed that the Initiative’s audits and policy recommendations consistently expose systemic gaps, control weaknesses and corruption risks across the entire extractive value chain. These findings, he said, are designed to support preventive actions, investigations and institutional reforms that fall squarely within the ICPC’s mandate.
Expressing confidence in the strengthened partnership, Hon. Sarkin Adar said closer collaboration between NEITI and the ICPC would play a significant role in reducing corruption risks, improving governance in the extractive sector and safeguarding Nigeria’s natural resources for sustainable national development.
