By Nkechi Eze
The House of Representatives has called for increased funding and stronger institutional support for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), following revelations that the Commission recovered over N33 billion and $1.8 million despite operating under severe financial constraints.
The lawmakers made the call on Friday during the ICPC’s defence of its 2026 budget proposal before the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, where members praised the agency’s performance and described its achievements as remarkable given its limited funding.
Speaking during the session, Chairman of the Committee, Rt. Hon. Kayode Akiolu, commended the Commission and its leadership for maintaining professional standards and upholding global best practices in anti-corruption enforcement. He described the ICPC as an institution whose operational methods reflect credibility and integrity, noting that its leadership had laid a strong foundation for effective law enforcement.
Also contributing, Hon. Abdulmaleek Abdulraheem, who represents Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency of Kogi State, highlighted what he described as an exceptional return on investment. He pointed out that with just N2.8 billion released in the previous year, the Commission was able to recover N33.16 billion and $1.8 million, in addition to securing convictions.
“You only got N2.8 billion last year, yet you recovered N33.16 billion and 1.8 million dollars alongside numerous convictions,” he said, adding that some heavily funded agencies fail to generate comparable value for the government.
He urged the committee to ensure that funds deducted from the Commission’s proposed 2026 budget are restored, warning that persistent underfunding could expose the agency to operational vulnerabilities and undermine its effectiveness.
Other lawmakers echoed the concerns and proposed legislative measures that would allow the Commission to retain a percentage of recovered funds to support its operational activities, similar to arrangements enjoyed by other revenue-generating agencies.
Hon. Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi, representing Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency, said such a policy would strengthen the Commission’s efficiency and reduce dependence on uncertain budgetary releases.
Earlier in his presentation, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, appealed to the National Assembly to facilitate improved funding to enable the Commission effectively carry out its anti-corruption mandate.
He revealed that although N7.82 billion was approved for overhead expenditure in 2025, only N2.1 billion, representing about 28 per cent, was released. According to him, the funding shortfall forced investigators and prosecutors to rely on personal resources to carry out official assignments, including attending court proceedings and conducting investigations, while operational limitations such as inadequate vehicles stalled several investigations.
The ICPC boss also disclosed that capital funding suffered an even worse fate, with only N400.49 million released out of the N7.3 billion approved, representing just five per cent. He added that the funds were released late in November 2025, making it difficult to execute projects or comply fully with procurement regulations.
Despite these challenges, the Commission recorded significant milestones. These included the recovery of over N33.1 billion in cash, $1.8 million, and several assets, while filing 72 new cases, securing 36 convictions, and prosecuting about 400 ongoing cases nationwide.
Dr. Aliyu further revealed that the Commission received 1,107 petitions during the review period, assigned 700 for investigation, and concluded 150 cases. He added that integrity compliance scorecards were deployed across 344 government institutions, while 131 Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units were established to strengthen preventive measures.
Expressing concern over reductions in the proposed 2026 budget, he noted that cuts of N4.7 billion from overhead and N2.2 billion from capital allocations could significantly affect operations if not reversed.
He nevertheless assured lawmakers of the Commission’s commitment to prudent resource management and efficient utilization of funds if its budget is improved.
The ICPC had earlier defended its budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, where similar assurances were given that efforts would be made to enhance the agency’s funding in recognition of its performance.
