By James Adamu
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered more than N5.3bn from local government accounts across seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, following a review of council finances.
The commission is also partnering with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to ensure all 774 local government areas publish their financial records and other relevant information online.
ICPC spokesman John Odey, in a statement on Thursday, said the commission’s chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, disclosed this in Nasarawa State at the launch of the ICPC-NITDA Local Government Websites Pilot.
Aliyu explained that the initiative, which kicked off in Nasarawa, is aimed at deepening transparency and accountability at the grassroots through digital disclosure.
He noted that the N5.3bn recovery underscored the level of financial risk at the local government level and the value of scrutiny 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,” he said.
“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.”
According to the ICPC chairman, the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local government councils and direct payment of their statutory allocations has made accountability in the management of public funds more urgent.
“Autonomy brings responsibility. Funds that now flow directly to the councils must be spent openly and for the benefit of the people,” he said.
Aliyu said the websites would require councils to publish details of their budgets, allocations, revenue, expenditure, audits, debts, procurement processes, human resources, and channels for citizen engagement and whistleblowing.
He added that the platforms would make it easier for residents, journalists and oversight institutions to monitor council finances and spot potential irregularities early.
“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,” he said.
Under the partnership, NITDA will provide the technological infrastructure — including domain registration, website development and hosting for at least one year — while the ICPC will supply the content standards and accountability framework.
The ICPC chairman urged council chairmen to appoint dedicated officers to manage the platforms and ensure published information is accurate and regularly updated, stressing that the commission would treat the initiative as a corruption prevention partnership rather than an instrument of witch-hunting.
In his remarks, NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said the initiative would improve governance, citizen engagement and economic opportunities.
He noted that the digital platforms would ease the difficulties residents face in accessing information about government projects and lodging complaints.
“Our people are online; therefore, government needs to be online to serve them better,” he said.
Abdullahi said NITDA would establish standards, develop website templates 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 to millions of Nigerians,” he said.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, who performed the kick-off, designated the Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency as the state’s technical partner for the initiative.
Sule directed local government councils to ensure the accuracy of information published on their websites and assign officers to verify records before uploading them.
He said the success of the initiative would be measured by the accessibility, currency and usefulness of the information rather than the mere launch of the platforms.
The governor also urged the ICPC and NITDA to extend the transparency initiative to state governments, offering Nasarawa as the first state to participate.
He said such disclosures would enable citizens to determine where funds meant 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, also commended the initiative.
Jatau pledged the Assembly’s support, noting that the Constitution empowered the legislature to oversee local government finances.
The kick-off was followed by a technical session on the standardised website template.
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