The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered over N5.3bn from local government accounts in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory following a review of their finances.
The commission stated that it is also collaborating with the National Information Technology Development Agency to ensure all 774 local government areas publish their financial records and other relevant information online.
A Thursday statement from the ICPC’s spokesman, John Odey, said the agency’s chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, made this known in Nasarawa State at the launch of the ICPC-NITDA Local Government Websites Pilot.
Aliyu said the initiative, which started in Nasarawa, was created to enhance transparency and accountability at the grassroots level through digital disclosure.
He noted that recovering more than N5.3bn showed how serious the financial risks are at the local government level and how vital scrutiny is in preventing corruption.
“The ICPC has recovered over N5.3 billion from a review of local government accounts in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, and is now moving to make councils across the country publish their finances online.
“The recoveries show both the scale of the risk at the grassroots and what scrutiny can achieve, and the websites are the preventive side of the same effort,” he said.
In his view, the Supreme Court’s July 2024 ruling, which upheld the financial autonomy of local government councils and the direct payment of their statutory allocations, has made accountability in the management of public funds even more necessary.
“Autonomy brings responsibility. Funds that now flow directly to the councils must be spent openly and for the benefit of the people,” he said.
The ICPC chairman clarified that the websites would oblige councils to publish details about their budgets, allocations, revenue, expenditure, audits, debts, procurement processes, human resources, and avenues for citizen engagement and whistleblowing.
He noted that these platforms would allow residents, journalists, and oversight bodies to keep an eye on council finances and spot possible financial irregularities.
“When these records are published regularly, citizens can follow the money, the media can ask informed questions, and oversight institutions can detect risks early, before they become losses,” Aliyu added.
He stated that NITDA would supply the technological infrastructure, such as domain registration, website development and hosting for at least one year, while the ICPC would supply the content standards and accountability framework.
Aliyu called on council chairmen to appoint dedicated officers to manage the platforms and to ensure that the information published was accurate and updated regularly.
He further noted that the commission would treat the initiative as a corruption prevention partnership rather than a tool for witch-hunting.
In his own remarks, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the initiative would enhance governance, citizen engagement framework, ,and economic opportunities.
He noted that the digital platforms would ease the difficulties residents encountered in accessing information about government projects and in filing complaints.
“Our people are online; therefore, government needs to be online to serve them better,” he said.
Abdullahi stated that the agency would establish standards, develop website templates opportunities, and train citizens, adding that the initiative would eventually cover all 774 local government areas.
“Our ambition is not 774 websites. It is 774 digitally empowered local governments delivering better experience templates to millions of Nigerians,” he said.
Abdullahi Sule, the Governor of Nasarawa State, carried out the kick-off and named the Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency as the state’s technical partner for the initiative.
Sule instructed local government councils to make sure the information posted on their websites is accurate and to appoint officers who will check records before they are uploaded.
He stated that the initiative’s success would be judged by how accessible, current, and useful the information is, rather than by the launch of the platforms themselves.
The governor further called on the ICPC and NITDA to expand the transparency initiative to state governments, current governments and offered Nasarawa as the first state to take part.
He noted that such disclosures would let citizens see where funds intended for local governments were being held up.
The Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage (retd.), and the Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Danladi Jatau, likewise praised the initiative.
Jatau promised the Assembly’s support, pointing out that the Constitution gives the legislature the power to oversee local government finances.
A technical session on the standardized governments and website template followed the kick-off.
