FG urges states to adopt anti-corruption strategies

The Federal Government of Nigeria has called on all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to develop and implement homegrown anti-corruption strategies. This initiative aims to improve transparency, accountability, and public service delivery at the subnational level. The call was made during a three-day workshop in Jos, Plateau State, focused on the implementation tools for the Plateau State Integrity and Accountability Strategy (PLASIAS).

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At a recent engagement between the ICPC and the 36 Attorneys General in Abuja, I shared the scorecard. Out of 36 states, only seven have commenced subnational anti-corruption strategy implementation. I am proud to announce that Plateau State is one of the seven.

Mrs. Victoria Ojogbane, Head of the National Anti-Corruption Secretariat, represented the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi. She commended Plateau State for advancing the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, noting that only seven states have commenced such processes. Ojogbane emphasized that "laws and action plans do not implement themselves. People do," highlighting the critical role of stakeholders in realizing the State Action Plan.

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Laws and action plans do not implement themselves. People do. All of you in this hall, and those yet to join, are critical stakeholders in implementing the State Action Plan.

Ojogbane explained that the national framework is built on five pillars: prevention, public engagement, ethical reorientation, enforcement and sanctions, and recovery of proceeds of corruption. She stressed that state-level ownership is crucial for translating the national strategy into practical reforms, stating, "The federal framework provides the architecture; state implementation provides the reality."

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The federal framework provides the architecture; state implementation provides the reality.

The Head of the National Anti-Corruption Secretariat linked corruption directly to the deterioration of public services. "Corruption is not abstract. It is why a clinic has no drugs, a school has no roof, and a borehole has no water. It erodes public trust. Every reform that increases transparency and accountability is an act of justice," she asserted. She conveyed the Attorney General's commendation to Governor Caleb Mutfwang and the Head of Service for their commitment to implementing the strategy.

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Corruption is not abstract. It is why a clinic has no drugs, a school has no roof, and a borehole has no water. It erodes public trust. Every reform that increases transparency and accountability is an act of justice.