Abuja: The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed that no Federal Ministry, Department, or Agency (MDA) achieved full compliance with ethics and integrity standards in its 2025 assessment. The Chairman of ICPC, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, represented by Olusegun Adigun, Director, System Study and Review Department, said this while presenting the findings on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Aliyu highlighted significant gaps in MDAs’ systems and structures, stating that the ICPC’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) evaluated 357 MDAs, with 344 effectively assessed. The chairman noted that 13 MDAs, representing 3.64 per cent, were classified as high-risk due to non-responsiveness or inability to be assessed.
Aliyu emphasized that the 2025 edition marked the seventh annual assessment of Federal MDAs, offering a consistent mechanism for evaluating ethics, integrity, and compliance. He remarked that general ethical principles were insufficient amid increasing risks and vulnerabilities faced by public institutions.
He explained that the EICS, developed by ICPC, acts as a tool for assessing and promoting accountability within Nigerian public institutions. According to him, the assessment covered 357 MDAs, with findings indicating that no MDA achieved full compliance. Only 13.95 per cent demonstrated substantial compliance, 38.37 per cent recorded partial compliance, and 40.99 per cent showed poor compliance.
Aliyu further noted deficiencies such as the lack of core values, mission, and vision systems among some MDAs, while others lacked domesticated policies on gift acceptance, donations, and hospitality. Additionally, 102 MDAs lacked strategic plans, and 154 MDAs were without monitoring systems. The ACTU Effectiveness Index (AEI) was highlighted as a complementary tool to the EICS, assessing ACTUs’ performance as in-house control mechanisms.
The AEI scores indicated that 12.31 per cent of ACTUs were ‘Very Effective,’ 30.97 per cent ‘Effective,’ 52.99 per cent ‘Ineffective,’ and 3.73 per cent ‘Dormant’. The findings suggested that several MDAs still lack basic systems, structures, and capacities to prevent corruption.
Aliyu expressed concerns over weak administrative systems, poor whistleblowing frameworks, inadequate training, and underperforming ACTUs, which undermine the public sector’s transparency and efficiency. He affirmed the commission’s commitment to strengthening transparency, ethical conduct, and accountability, vowing to address deficiencies and correct anomalies within the public service.
He stated that the 2025 EICS and AEI results indicated progress in financial management but highlighted weaknesses in administrative and ethical systems. Aliyu urged MDAs to enhance their systems and structures to prevent corruption, noting that the commission’s efforts aim to support sustainable national development.
The commission will continue to deploy corrective and enforcement measures, engaging MDAs to strengthen transparency and accountability. ICPC’s initiatives aim to promote a culture of ethics and integrity within Nigerian public institutions.