The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Mr. Oyetunde Ojo, has received an Award of Excellence from the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) in recognition of his efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability, and ethical governance within the authority. The award was presented in Abuja during a ceremony organised by the academy.

Presenting the award, the Provost of ACAN, Prof. Sheriff Ibrahim, said the recognition reflects Ojo’s commitment to promoting integrity and strengthening collaboration between the FHA, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and ACAN. He noted that the partnership is aimed at reducing corrupt practices and improving governance within the housing agency.

Responding to the honour, Ojo described the award as a recognition of the collective efforts of FHA staff rather than a personal achievement. He said the authority has introduced several institutional reforms designed to improve transparency, rebuild public confidence, and reduce opportunities for corruption in its operations.

According to the FHA Managing Director, one of the key reforms has been the digitalisation of the authority’s operations. He explained that automating critical processes has helped tackle challenges such as multiple allocations, document forgery, and other administrative irregularities that previously affected service delivery. The authority has also strengthened its procurement procedures by adopting stricter open-tendering processes supported by digital documentation.

Ojo added that the FHA intends to expand the use of automation and electronic platforms across its operations to reduce human discretion, improve traceability, and enhance institutional accountability. He noted that these reforms have contributed to a measurable decline in corruption-related allegations involving the authority while improving operational efficiency.

Also speaking at the event, the FHA’s General Manager for SERVICOM and Anti-Corruption Unit, Mrs. Ebere Alalib, said the award reflects the authority’s growing commitment to good governance and ethical leadership. She encouraged staff members to sustain the culture of professionalism, honesty, and accountability in carrying out their responsibilities.

Governance experts say digital transformation, transparent procurement systems, and stronger institutional oversight are becoming increasingly important in improving accountability across public sector organisations. They note that reforms aimed at reducing corruption can enhance investor confidence, improve service delivery, and strengthen public trust in government institutions.

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed that it monitored projects worth over N21.23 trillion under the Federal Ministry of Works as part of efforts to curb corruption and improve accountability in public spending.

Chairman of the commission, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during a joint workshop organised with the Nigerian Union of Journalists. The event, themed “Reinvigorating the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2022–2026): A Post-Assessment Roadmap for the Fourth Estate,” focused on strengthening transparency and media collaboration.

Aliyu explained that the commission has prioritised prevention by closely monitoring government spending through its Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative. According to him, the ICPC recently tracked about 950 projects across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory, valued at approximately N415.25 billion.

He noted that the exercise exposed several abandoned and poorly executed projects, forcing contractors back to site and improving accountability in service delivery. He added that such tracking mechanisms are designed to ensure value for money and prevent corrupt practices before they occur.

“In addition to these efforts, projects under the Federal Ministry of Works valued at over N21.23 trillion were also tracked, reflecting the scale of our oversight responsibilities,” Aliyu said.

The ICPC chairman also highlighted the crucial role of the media in the anti-corruption fight, describing journalists as key partners in promoting transparency. He urged media professionals to strengthen investigative reporting and uphold responsible journalism to support ongoing reforms.

Aliyu further explained that the workshop was aimed at deepening collaboration between the commission and the media, while generating actionable ideas for the next phase of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2022–2026).

The engagement forms part of ICPC’s broader efforts to reinforce the role of journalists in raising public awareness and ensuring accountability in governance.

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BudgIT, a leading budget transparency and accountability organisation, has raised alarm over widespread project fraud across Nigeria after uncovering 92 fraudulent projects nationwide.

The revelation is contained in BudgIT’s 2024/2025 Tracka Report, released on Thursday, which monitored the implementation of 2,760 government-funded projects across 28 states of the federation.

According to the report, the 92 projects were categorised as “fraudulent” due to diversion of funds, poor execution, relocation of projects without approval, and repeated budgetary allocations for projects already completed in previous cycles.

BudgIT explained that while 1,438 projects were completed, 99 were abandoned, 660 were ongoing, and 471 had not commenced despite funding, highlighting deep-rooted inefficiencies in Nigeria’s public expenditure system.

The organisation noted that Imo State recorded the highest number of fraudulent projects at 17.43 per cent, followed by Lagos with 12.73 per cent, Kwara at 11.76 per cent, Abia with 10.67 per cent, and Ogun at 8.33 per cent. Together, the five states accounted for over 57 per cent of all fraudulently delivered projects, involving about ₦8.61 billion out of the ₦15.07 billion allocated to such projects.

BudgIT said the Tracka initiative also carried out targeted monitoring of strategic infrastructure, including dam projects, revitalised primary healthcare centres, and federally funded projects in the Niger Delta, to assess their impact on national development.

In the dam sector, Tracka monitored 16 projects across 13 states valued at ₦432 million. The report found that none had been completed, with four abandoned, six progressing slowly, and six yet to commence despite receiving funds.

Similarly, 47 revitalised primary healthcare centres tracked across 25 states showed mixed results, with only 26 recording visible improvements, while others were either under renovation, untouched, or abandoned.

In the Niger Delta region, BudgIT tracked 48 federally funded projects across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers states. While 29 projects were completed, 13 had not commenced, four were ongoing, and two could not be traced despite confirmed funding.

Commenting on the findings, Head of Tracka, Joshua Osiyemi, stressed that budgetary allocations alone do not guarantee development, calling for stronger citizen participation and government accountability.

He urged governments to publish detailed project data, improve supervision, ensure timely fund disbursement, and prioritise projects with real social impact. Osiyemi also encouraged citizens to actively monitor projects in their communities using civic platforms like Tracka to reduce corruption and improve service delivery.

Despite the challenges identified, the report highlighted 15 success stories driven by citizen engagement, including completed healthcare centres, school renovations, erosion control projects, disability empowerment programmes, and access to clean water in several states.

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other federal agencies have revealed that there is no clear evidence that local government allocations from the Federation Account get to the councils directly.

The agencies made this known during a workshop on the Local Government Accountability Framework (LGAF) held in Jos, Plateau State, for local government chairmen.

The event was organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

The ICPC Executive Secretary, Clifford Oparaodu, said that despite the Supreme Court ruling granting full autonomy to local governments, there is still no system to verify what each council receives.

He noted that most allocations are channelled through state joint accounts, making it difficult for councils to know or plan with their actual funds.

He added that this lack of transparency undermines development and accountability at the grassroots level.

Other speakers, including the RoLAC Programme Manager, Emmanuel Uche, and LGAF Coordinator, Umar Yakubu, also said that democracy cannot grow without openness and accountability in the use of public funds.

They called on citizens to demand transparency and for local governments to be given full control of their allocations to improve schools, healthcare, and infrastructure in rural communities.

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When Nigeria inherited its civil service from the British, it was designed as the backbone of governance efficient, accountable, and stable enough to guarantee smooth administration regardless of political change. Decades later, that noble vision has been consumed by a culture of graft so entrenched that the very institution meant to protect the state has instead become one of its biggest liabilities.

The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, recently drew attention to a sobering reality: the depth of corruption in Nigeria’s public life cannot be understood without looking at the civil service. According to him, career civil servants, not just politicians, are responsible for the largest volume of stolen funds.

“Political appointees come and go,” he remarked, “but these civil servants remain embedded, powerful, and indispensable to almost every corrupt deal.” In effect, the system’s continuity has become a weapon used to shield theft, frustrate reforms, and outlast political administrations.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has, over the years, uncovered procurement frauds, frozen suspicious bank accounts, and secured convictions against officials who manipulated contracts for personal enrichment. In Abuja, entire neighborhoods testify to this rot: mansions and estates quietly owned by directors, permanent secretaries, and procurement officers whose official salaries could never fund such wealth.

The schemes are depressingly familiar contract inflation, forged procurement papers, bribery demands for basic services, ghost workers, and pensions siphoned off through fictitious names. Each tactic bleeds public resources meant for hospitals, schools, and infrastructure, leaving ordinary citizens trapped in underdevelopment.

Nigeria has not ignored the crisis. From President Obasanjo’s reform drive in the early 2000s introducing downsizing, monetisation of benefits, and creating agencies like the ICPC and EFCC to the passage of the Public Procurement Act in 2007, governments have repeatedly tried to clean the system. Yet, the results remain cosmetic.

The problem is not merely the law but the will to enforce it. Politicians often rely on the same bureaucrats to execute shady deals, and so genuine reform threatens entrenched interests on both sides. The result is paralysis where corruption is acknowledged but rarely punished with finality.

The consequences extend far beyond missing billions. When salaries are stolen, hospitals collapse; when pensions vanish, old age becomes a nightmare; when school projects are inflated, classrooms never appear. Corruption in the civil service is not an abstract crime it is the silent destruction of the Nigerian state’s capacity to serve its people.

While some argue that poor pay and inadequate pensions encourage corruption, such excuses collapse under scrutiny. No remuneration can justify the scale of theft that cripples an entire nation’s development.

The reality is stark: anti-corruption agencies are overwhelmed, often facing defendants who use their influence to hire the best lawyers, intimidate witnesses, or delay trials endlessly. Without political courage and collective public pressure, corruption within the civil service will remain the elephant in the room untouched and untouchable.

What Nigeria requires is an emergency national campaign one that goes beyond surface reforms and builds an unyielding culture of accountability. Civil servants must be reminded that their calling is service, not self-enrichment. Until that happens, the dream of national progress will remain hostage to a bureaucracy designed to serve itself first.

Source: DailyTrust

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the National Assembly to release full details of the planned ₦37 billion renovation of its complex.

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/51/2022. The case was filed by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) through its lawyer, Seidu Mohammed.

The court directed the National Assembly to provide the original proposal and assessment reports, the procedure used to reach the ₦37bn estimate, the actual amount approved and allocated, and records of funds already disbursed.

Justice Nwite ruled that the requested information falls under the Freedom of Information Act. He noted that the National Assembly had no legal basis to deny access.

“The information is simple and harmless. When an institution like the respondent refuses to release it, the aim of the Act is defeated. Such denial encourages corruption and financial recklessness,” the judge said.

HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, welcomed the ruling on Sunday. He described it as a major step towards accountability in public projects.

“This judgment affirms the right of citizens to demand details of government spending. We expect the National Assembly to comply fully with the order,” Suraju said.

HEDA urged the National Assembly to obey the ruling without delay. The group also called on civil society, the media, and other stakeholders to demand transparency across all public institutions.

According to Suraju, silence in the face of financial secrecy only deepens corruption and mismanagement.

The ruling sets a strong precedent. It confirms that Nigerians have the right to know how public funds are allocated and spent. It also strengthens the fight against corruption by ensuring greater transparency in government projects.

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