The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has identified 15 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) as being at “high corruption risk” in its latest Integrity and Compliance report,leadership reports.
Released on Thursday, the report assessed 330 MDAs, successfully evaluating 308 of them. Fifteen MDAs were classified as non-responsive, while seven were exempted due to government policies.
In its Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), the ICPC ranked the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as the top-performing agency with a score of 89.75. It was followed by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) with 89.33 and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading PLC (NBET) with 88.73.
However, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), the Nigeria Press Council (NPC), the University of Ibadan (UI), and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) were among the MDAs that scored zero points, placing them in the “high corruption risk” category.
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The scorecard evaluated institutional integrity using three key performance indicators: management culture and structure, financial management systems, and administrative systems.
ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare described the EICS as a preventive tool to enhance compliance with ethical standards and anti-corruption measures. “In 2024, the tool assessed 323 responsive MDAs, while 15 were non-responsive and classified as high corruption risk,” Bakare stated.
Key Findings of the Scorecard
- No MDA achieved full compliance with assessed standards.
- 29.55% of MDAs achieved substantial compliance.
- 51.62% had partial compliance.
- 15.91% showed poor compliance.
- 2.92% were entirely non-compliant.
ICPC’s Tracking of Government Projects
The ICPC also released its 2023-2024 Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Report, which monitored government-funded projects across sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Between 2023 and 2024, the ICPC tracked 1,500 projects worth ₦610 billion across 22 states. Key issues identified included:
- Shoddy, partial, or non-execution of projects.
- Abandoned projects due to poor coordination between outgoing and incoming legislators.
- Misuse of project vehicles and conversion of government-funded assets for personal use.
- Contract over-invoicing and underperformance.
The commission recovered ₦346 million in cash, ₦400 million in assets, and saved the government ₦30 billion through its tracking initiative.
Conclusion
The findings underscore ongoing challenges in ethical compliance and project execution within Nigeria’s public sector. They highlight the urgent need for stricter oversight, accountability, and improved governance to address these persistent issues.
