The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening institutional accountability across Nigeria’s 774 local governments following the unveiling of the country’s first-ever Local Government Integrity Index Report.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening institutional accountability across Nigeria’s 774 local governments following the unveiling of the country’s first-ever Local Government Integrity Index Report.
The report, presented in Abuja by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI), paints a stark picture of governance at the grassroots, revealing that 85 percent of local councils fall within “Very High” or “Critical” corruption risk categories.
Speaking at the event, the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, commended the initiative as a “timely and valuable intervention” for improving transparency and accountability at the local government level.
“We shall take a cue from this Index Report, particularly the issues that touch on transparency, accountability, and local government finances. The Commission will review the findings thoroughly and determine how to fuse the novel ideas into our Accountability and Corruption Prevention in Local Governments (ACCP-LG) initiative,” Dr. Aliyu said.
He emphasized that ICPC’s focus remains on strengthening institutional frameworks that ensure effective and impactful service delivery to citizens.
Presenting the findings, the Centre’s Executive Director, Dr. Umar Yakubu, revealed widespread institutional weaknesses and governance failures across LGAs.
According to the report, only four LGAs (0.5%) scored within the Low Risk category, with Nasarawa LGA in Nasarawa State emerging as the national model for transparency, scoring 15/100.
By contrast, Port Harcourt LGA in Rivers State scored a staggering 92/100, earning a “Critical” risk rating due to poor disclosures, frequent denial of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and weak administrative systems.
“The Index exposes systemic integrity failures at the subnational level. We recommend direct federal funding to LGAs, mandatory quarterly transparency audits, and the adoption of open contracting and digital governance frameworks,” Yakubu stressed.
The report assessed LGAs across eight indicators — fiscal transparency, resource mobilisation, anti-corruption enforcement, civic oversight, post-election governance, digital infrastructure, service outcomes, and local security.
The event highlighted the growing partnership between ICPC and civil society actors in deploying data-driven tools to combat corruption, enhance transparency, and improve governance outcomes.
ICPC Deepens Local Governance Integrity as First National LGA Index Exposes Widespread Corruption Risks
