The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has reaffirmed the Commission’s determination to strengthen institutional frameworks across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs), as part of efforts to curb corruption and deepen accountability at the grassroots.
Dr. Aliyu made this known on Friday in Abuja during the official presentation of the First Nigerian Local Government Integrity Index Report, conducted by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI).
In his remarks, the ICPC Chairman described the report as a “timely and valuable tool” for improving transparency and service delivery at the local government level. He pledged that the Commission would study the findings carefully and integrate key recommendations into its newly launched programme — Accountability and Corruption Prevention in Local Governments (ACCP-LG).
“We shall take a cue from this Index Report, particularly the issues that touch on transparency, accountability, and local government finances,” Dr. Aliyu said. “Our goal is to strengthen institutional frameworks in local governments, ensuring they deliver impactful and effective services to the people.”
Presenting the report, the Executive Director of CeFTPI, Dr. Umar Yakubu, revealed that the study exposed a deep governance crisis within the local government system, with 85 percent of LGAs falling into “Very High” or “Critical” risk categories — a reflection of widespread opacity, weak enforcement, and fragile service delivery.
The Index assessed LGAs across eight key pillars: fiscal transparency, resource mobilisation, anti-corruption enforcement, post-election governance, civic oversight, public service outcomes, digital infrastructure, and security environment.
Key Findings
- Systemic Integrity Failures: 658 LGAs (85%) ranked in Tiers 4 and 5 (“Very High” and “Critical” risk).
- Low-Risk Benchmark: Only four LGAs (0.5%) fell into Tier 1 (“Low Risk”), with Nasarawa LGA in Nasarawa State emerging as the national model for transparency, scoring 15/100.
- Critical Cases: Port Harcourt LGA in Rivers State scored 92/100, with no functional website, frequent FOI denials, and poor public disclosures.
- State Trends: While most states averaged “Very High Risk,” notable exceptions were seen in Lagos, Jigawa, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States.
Dr. Yakubu called for urgent reforms to address the weaknesses, including direct federal allocations to LGAs without state interference, quarterly transparency audits for high-risk councils, and the adoption of open contracting, asset disclosure, and digital governance systems.
The event also highlighted ICPC’s growing partnership with civil society organisations and stakeholders to use research, data, and evidence-based monitoring to strengthen the anti-corruption ecosystem and promote accountability at all levels of governance.