ICPC, NITDA Launch Digital Transparency Initiative, Target 774 LG Councils
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has launched a digital transparency initiative aimed at making the financial activities of Nigeria’s 774 local government councils accessible to the public.
The initiative follows the recovery of more than ₦5.3 billion from the review of local government accounts in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Nasarawa State has become the first state to commence the pilot programme, which is expected to be extended to all local government areas across the country.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Lafia on Thursday, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, said the initiative would strengthen accountability following the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment granting financial autonomy to local government councils.
He said financial autonomy must be accompanied by transparency, stressing that councils must demonstrate responsibility in the management of funds received directly from the Federation Account.
According to him, the Commission’s recovery of over ₦5.3 billion from local government accounts highlights the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms to prevent financial abuses.
Dr. Aliyu explained that the proposed websites would provide citizens with access to vital information about the financial and administrative activities of their councils.
The websites will feature five key disclosure areas, including financial records, procurement processes, human resources, citizen engagement and anti-corruption mechanisms.
Financial disclosures will cover budgets, statutory allocations, internally generated revenue, expenditure, audit reports and outstanding debts.
He said the platforms would also provide channels through which citizens could submit complaints and report suspected corruption.
The ICPC chairman explained that the website template was developed under the Commission’s Accountability and Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Governments (ACPP-LG).
He described the collaboration with NITDA as a strategic partnership in which ICPC would provide the accountability framework while NITDA would deliver the technological infrastructure.
He disclosed that NITDA had pledged to register domain names, develop and host websites for all 774 local government councils for at least one year.
Dr. Aliyu urged local government chairmen to ensure that the platforms were regularly updated, warning that websites without accurate and current information would defeat the purpose of the initiative.
He also clarified that ICPC’s involvement was intended to encourage preventive accountability and not to intimidate local government officials.
In his remarks, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, said the initiative would eliminate unnecessary barriers between citizens and government information.
He described a situation in which residents of remote communities had to travel long distances to obtain information about government projects or submit complaints, noting that digital platforms would make such services more accessible.
Abdullahi identified better governance, improved citizen engagement and increased economic opportunities as the initiative’s major objectives.
He said NITDA would provide the required standards, website templates and training, while encouraging councils to engage local technology professionals in developing and maintaining the platforms.
He emphasised that the programme was about creating digitally empowered local governments rather than simply launching websites.
Flagging off the initiative, Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, CON, designated the Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (NASITDEA) as the state’s technical champion.
The governor directed all local government councils to designate officers responsible for verifying and updating information before publication.
He called on civil society groups, journalists and community institutions to actively use the platforms to promote public accountability.
Governor Sule said the initiative would only be successful if citizens could access current and useful information about the activities of their councils.
He further called for the extension of the digital disclosure programme to state governments, volunteering Nasarawa as the first state to make its financial information available under the proposed arrangement.
According to him, publishing information on allocations as they are received would help address excuses surrounding delayed payment of workers’ salaries.
The Emir of Lafia, HRH Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I (rtd.), praised the initiative and commended the leadership of ICPC, NITDA and the Nasarawa State Government.
The Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dr. Danladi Jatau, also pledged the legislature’s support, noting that the Assembly has constitutional oversight responsibilities over local government finances.
The ceremony, held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Lafia, featured a technical session on the standardised website template.
