The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has urged the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to develop innovative technology-driven solutions to combat corruption in public service and the procurement processes.
The call was made by ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, during a courtesy visit by NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman, Mr. Khalil Halilu, to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
This was made known by Demola Bakare, the ICPC’s Director, Public Enlightenment and Education in a statement on Sunday.
Highlighting the critical role of technology in both enabling and preventing corruption, Aliyu revealed that the ICPC recently blocked the diversion of approximately N1.6 billion through the use of technology-based monitoring tools.
Related Articles:
- ICPC, PTAD set to sign agreement to combat pension fraud in Nigeria
- ICPC launches probe into N71.2 billion discrepancy in student loan disbursement
- ICPC reaffirms commitment to partner UK Home Office
“We cannot fight corruption without being smart. We know the increasing use of technology in committing corrupt acts, but we are also leveraging the same technology to fight back,” he said.
Aliyu emphasized the need for strong inter-agency collaboration, pointing out that 70 to 80 percent of corruption in Nigeria occurs in procurement.
He proposed two key areas of partnership, tracking public funds and procurement processes by the development of a secure digital whistleblower platform to facilitate confidential reporting of corrupt practices and joint innovation task team.
To formalize the collaboration, the ICPC chairman proposed the formation of a joint innovation task team that will identify priority areas for joint action, ensure sustainability through ongoing engagement, and prepare for the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
He also reaffirmed the commission’s support in promoting transparency within NASENI by strengthening its anti-corruption and transparency unit.
In his remarks, NASENI’s Chief Executive, Mr. Halilu, expressed strong support for the collaboration, highlighting the importance of digital transformation in reducing corruption.
“We are keen to extend our partnership to the ICPC. There is an urgent need to digitalize internal processes to improve security and efficiency, and we would be happy to share our knowledge and experience in this area,” Halilu said.
The meeting concluded with both agencies reaffirming their shared commitment to using digital innovation, data analytics, and strategic collaboration to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption infrastructure.
