The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu, has decried the pervasive corruption at the local government level, describing it as one of the most insidious threats to grassroots development and national progress.
Speaking during an engagement with the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Dr. Adamu said the engagement was aimed at addressing the theme, “Accountability and Corruption Prevention in Local Government Administration.”
Highlighting the strategic role of local governments, the ICPC Chairman stated, “Local government administration is the closest tier of government to the people and undeniably the bedrock of democratic governance. It is at this level that the daily realities of citizens are shaped, essential services are meant to be delivered, and where development initiatives should directly impact lives.”
He, however, lamented that this same level of government has become a breeding ground for corruption. “The diversion of funds meant for local projects, ghost worker syndicates, inflated contracts, and the misappropriation of internally generated revenues are but a few examples of the corrupt practices that undermine the very essence of local governance,” he said.
Dr. Adamu stressed that the consequences of such corruption are far-reaching, saying, “When corruption thrives at the local level, it directly impedes development, erodes public trust, and ultimately stunts the progress of our nation. It is a betrayal of the trust reposed in public officials by the very people they are meant to serve.”
He further reiterated the Commission’s broader approach to fighting corruption beyond prosecutions. “Our mandate, as enshrined in the ICPC Act, extends beyond the prosecution of corruption offenders. It encompasses a proactive approach to corruption prevention, public education, and fostering a culture of integrity across all tiers of government and segments of society.”
Describing the session with NACC as a strategic initiative, Dr. Adamu noted, “This engagement is a convergence of minds dedicated to forging practical solutions to a persistent challenge.” He urged members of the Coalition to take on a more active role in curbing corruption at the grassroots.
“We must explore innovative ways to empower citizens to demand accountability from their local government officials,” he said. “Citizen participation in budget monitoring, project oversight, and reporting of corrupt practices is paramount. We need to sensitize our communities on their rights and responsibilities, fostering a culture where corruption is not tolerated but actively resisted.”
While condemning acts of corruption, the ICPC Chairman acknowledged the need for systemic reform and support for local government officials.
“We must also acknowledge the challenges faced by local government officials, including capacity gaps and, sometimes, undue external pressures. While we will not condone corruption, we must also work towards building a system that is resilient and equips officials with the necessary tools and training to resist temptation and uphold ethical conduct.”
The Executive Director of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CEFTPI), Dr. Umar Yakubu, in his presentation on the Local Government Accountability Initiative, emphasized the need for proactive transparency as a long-term solution to entrenched corruption in Nigeria’s local government administration.
Dr. Yakubu stated that local governments in Nigeria have been effectively captured by state governors, creating an environment where corruption thrives and public funds are routinely misappropriated.
“Local governments are no longer autonomous in practice. The level of political interference, particularly from state governors, has rendered them ineffective in delivering basic services,” he said. “This capture has led to massive corruption, and the mechanisms we currently have to check this have failed to yield meaningful results.”
He noted that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) cannot effectively monitor all 774 local governments across the country due to limited resources. “The ICPC is doing its best, but the Commission is overstretched. We must be realistic without increased capacity or systemic changes, corruption at the grassroots will persist,” he said.
Dr. Yakubu proposed that the only sustainable path forward is through transparency, especially via proactive disclosure of information. “We must make local government operations visible to the public. When people know how much is allocated, how it’s spent, and who is responsible, it becomes harder to hide corruption,” he explained.
He called for robust fiscal transparency, insisting that local governments must publicly disclose proposed and approved budgets, all financial allocations for capital and recurrent expenditure, internally generated revenue, borrowing records, and detailed breakdowns of spending, especially personnel costs.
“When we talk about ghost workers, it’s because there’s no transparency in the payroll. If these figures were published, it would be easier to detect and eliminate fraud,” he said.
Dr. Yakubu also stressed the need for openness in procurement processes. “It’s not enough to award contracts legally. The process must be advertised, the contractors made known, and Procurement Implementation Reports must be released. Only then can we track real progress and detect red flags,” he said.
On human resource management, he advocated for full disclosure of recruitment policies, the total number of staff, gender composition, and the number of employees with disabilities in accordance with existing laws. “Employment should reflect transparency and equity. We must also comply with legal provisions that protect the rights of marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities,” he added.
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Yakubu urged for a shift in strategy toward citizen-led monitoring and open governance. “Without transparency, all other anti-corruption efforts at the local level will remain cosmetic. If we want results, we must let the public in. Accountability begins when people can ask questions and get answers,” he said.
In a similar vein, Mr. Bello Bakori, Deputy Director at the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CEPTI), decried that despite receiving over ₦400 billion monthly from the Federation Account, local government councils in Nigeria continue to be plagued by widespread corruption that undermines grassroots development and service delivery. This concern was raised during his presentation on measures of combating corruption in local government councils in Nigeria.
Bakori noted that local governments, which are constitutionally mandated to drive development closest to the people, have instead become “hotbeds of systemic corruption.”
“It is disheartening that with all the resources flowing into the local government system over ₦400 billion monthly we are still seeing abandoned projects, ghost workers, and inflated contracts across the country,” he stated.
Mr. Bakori attributed the problem to a combination of weak institutional structures, poor oversight mechanisms, and the limited involvement of citizens in governance. “These failures are not accidental. They are the result of decades of neglect, weak capacity, and a lack of transparency,” he said.
To confront these challenges, he explained that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has designed and deployed specific investigative templates that focus on key areas such as personnel costs, capital expenditure, internally generated revenue, and budget implementation.
“Our collaboration with the ICPC has led to the development of tools that help expose irregularities in council finances ghost workers, inflated contracts, and funds meant for development that never reach the people,” Bakori noted. “In at least one state, these tools are already being used and the Commission has made significant recoveries.”
He expressed concern over the poor adherence to the “Model Financial Memorandum for Local Government,” a document designed to guide financial management at the grassroots level. “The truth is, many councils are simply ignoring this document. This non-compliance is one of the major enablers of corruption,” he said.
Mr. Bakori urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other regulatory agencies to join forces with the ICPC in fostering a culture of accountability. “We need a coordinated national effort government institutions, civil society, the media, and local communities must all be part of this push,” he said. “If we fail to clean up the local government system, we are failing the majority of Nigerians who depend on it for essential services.”
He concluded by emphasizing that reforming local government finances is crucial for national development. “It is time we stop treating corruption at the grassroots as an afterthought. If we want true development, it must begin at the local level with transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement leading the way,” he asserted.
Secretary of the Commission Mr. Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu, Esq., in his vote of thanks, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to the collective national objective of eradicating corruption. Addressing key concerns raised during the stakeholder engagement, he clarified that the programme was strictly an engagement session with the Commission, not an interrogation exercise. “This is an opportunity for dialogue and collaboration, not investigation,” he emphasized.
Responding to issues related to funding, the ICPC Secretary acknowledged the challenges but noted that such constraints are not exclusive to the Commission. He assured participants that funds would be appropriately disbursed once made available. “We are all operating under similar fiscal limitations. However, we remain committed to judicious use of resources as they come,” he stated.
On the subject of issuing identification cards to anti-corruption volunteers or members, Mr. Oparaodu expressed reservations, warning that such IDs could be susceptible to misuse. He proposed that alternative, more secure methods of identification should be considered to prevent abuse of access or authority.
Addressing concerns over local government budgeting processes, the Secretary highlighted the structural and practical challenges facing local administrations. He pointed out that, despite judicial pronouncements affirming financial autonomy for local governments, many still do not receive the full allocations due to them.
He explained the traditional budget process at the local level, wherein the chairman of the council presents the budget, and the leader of the legislative house approves it based on projected state allocations and expected internally generated revenue. “These complexities have made local governance finance an ongoing challenge,” he concluded.
The session provided an avenue for open dialogue and reiterated ICPC’s position as a partner in promoting accountability, transparency, and good governance across all levels of government.
The engagement concluded with a call for greater partnership between government, civil society, and citizens to restore integrity to the local governance structure in Nigeria.