The Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has lamented how corruption has continued to undermine developmental sectors in the country and called for urgent attention.
In a press statement on the International Anti-Corruption Day, which was commemorated on Monday, CISLAC’s Executive Director, Mallam Auwal Musa Rafsanjani said: “Corruption continues to plague every sector of Nigeria’s socio-economic and political landscape, serving as the root cause of systemic failures and deepening poverty, insecurity, and underdevelopment”.
He explained that corruption has severely undermined Nigeria’s fight against insurgency and insecurity, diverting critical funds meant to bolster national defence into private hands.
He said that key anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau; and the judiciary must have their institutional frameworks and autonomy strengthened to ensure an effective fight against corruption. He added that these institutions must be reformed and insulated from political interference.
- Anti-corruption: Minister sets up youth help desk
- Citizens must own the fight against corruption
- Anti-corruption: MacArthur Foundation urges govt to leverage technology
“These institutions should have full operational autonomy, and their leadership should be provided with security of tenure to prevent undue influence. Furthermore, local government autonomy should be guaranteed by empowering INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) to conduct local elections, ensuring greater accountability at the grassroots level.
“Comprehensive electoral reforms and monitoring: There is a need to enforce transparency in political campaign financing, particularly by instituting clear requirements for the declaration of campaign funds. Strong penalties for vote-buying and electoral malpractices, especially during party primaries, must be implemented. Political parties should also be compelled to uphold internal democracy, reducing the influence of corrupt individuals in party leadership.
“Revitalise the education sector and combat ‘sextortion’: To combat Nigeria’s educational crisis, the government must increase investment in teacher training, school infrastructure, and student welfare. Addressing the 20 million out-of-school children is imperative”.
Rafsanjani further said: “Reforming the university admission process, raising JAMB cut-off marks, and addressing the rampant issue of ‘sextortion’ in academic institutions must be prioritised. Independent bodies should be empowered to investigate and take swift action against perpetrators of sexual exploitation in schools.
“Boost healthcare funding and address the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP crisis: The Nigerian government should allocate at least 15 per cent of the national budget to healthcare (in line with the Abuja Declaration), improve doctor-to-patient ratio (currently at 1:6,000, far above the WHO standard of 1:600).
“Healthcare infrastructure must be developed to cater to the needs of vulnerable populations, particularly IDPs. As of 2024, Nigeria has over 4.3 million IDPs, who continue to suffer from inadequate access to food, healthcare, and sanitation. A transparent mechanism must be established for the disbursement of humanitarian aid to IDPs to ensure that the resources reach those in need.
“Enforce transparency in public procurement and constituency projects: The Public Procurement Act must be strictly enforced to ensure transparency and fairness in government contracting”.
The statement advised that “legislative frameworks should be put in place to regulate constituency projects, ensuring that funds allocated are used for their intended purposes and benefit local communities. Procurement processes should be transparent, competitive, and free from political interference, with a clear audit trail of all public funds spent”.
