In Nigeria, a call has been made by Civil Society Organization, Policy Alert, for the reinforcement of anti-corruption laws and the review of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, in order to tackle issues of corruption.
During the 2023 International Anti-corruption Day in Atlanta, USA, the Executive Director of Policy Alert, Tjah Bolton Akpan, emphasized the need for this action under the theme: ‘UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption.”
Akpan stressed the necessity for collective efforts in combating corruption, expressing disappointment at the prevailing corruption that continues to hinder development globally and locally.
He pointed out that “One in five people worldwide still face bribery charges for public services, and 124 countries are showing no improvement in their corruption levels.”
The urgency was emphasized for the enactment of pending anti-corruption legislation, including the proposed whistleblower bill, and the review of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Regarding existing anti-corruption legislation, Akpan acknowledged progress, particularly in asset recovery, and emphasized that any repatriation of such assets should align with the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) principles.
Referring to the recent plans by the French government to repatriate $150 million looted funds linked to former military president, Sani Abacha to Nigeria, Akpan urged international organizations and Nigerian states to adhere to GFAR principles to avoid reinforcing corrupt individuals’ impunity and further impoverishing corruption victims.
He also urged state governments to establish and implement robust state anti-corruption strategies and noted the unfortunate situation where some states have obtained interlocutory injunctions preventing anti-corruption agencies from investigating public officials.
Acknowledging the potential hindrance of these legal blocks to anti-corruption efforts at the sub-national level, Akpan pleaded for concerted action to reverse this trend.