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 (FCT), following investigations into their financial activities.
The anti-graft agency also announced plans to collaborate with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to ensure that all 774 local government areas in the country make their financial records and other relevant information accessible to the public through dedicated websites.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, disclosed this during the launch of the ICPC-NITDA Local Government Websites Pilot in Nasarawa State.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the commission’s spokesman, John Odey, the initiative is aimed at promoting transparency, strengthening accountability and preventing corruption in local government administration through digital platforms.
Aliyu said the recovery of the funds exposed the financial irregularities that could occur at the grassroots level when public resources were not adequately monitored.
“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.
“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,” he said.
He explained that the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local government councils, including the direct payment of their statutory allocations, had made effective financial oversight more important.
The ICPC chairman stressed that the autonomy granted to councils must be accompanied by responsible management and transparent utilisation of public resources.
“Autonomy brings responsibility. Funds that now flow directly to the councils must be spent openly and for the benefit of the people,” he said.
Under the proposed arrangement, local government councils will be required to upload details of their budgets, statutory allocations, internally generated revenue, expenditure, audit reports, debts, procurement activities and human resources.
The platforms will also provide channels through which residents can engage with their councils, submit complaints and report suspected cases of financial misconduct.
Aliyu said making such information publicly available would empower citizens and the media to scrutinise government spending while helping relevant oversight agencies identify possible irregularities.
“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,” Aliyu added.
He said NITDA would provide the technical support required to establish the platforms, including domain registration, website development and hosting services for a minimum of one year.
The ICPC, on its part, would develop the content requirements and accountability framework to guide the publication of financial information.
Aliyu urged local government chairmen to appoint officials responsible for managing the websites and ensuring that information uploaded was accurate and regularly updated.
He maintained that the commission intended to implement the programme as a corruption prevention initiative rather than a tool for witch-hunting public officials.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the project would strengthen governance, improve citizen participation and create new economic opportunities.
He noted that digital platforms would make it easier for residents to obtain information about government activities and projects, as well as communicate their concerns to public authorities.
“Our people are online; therefore, government needs to be online to serve them better,” he said.
Abdullahi said NITDA would establish operational standards, develop website templates and provide training for citizens to support the effective use of the platforms.
He added that the project was designed to extend beyond the pilot phase in Nasarawa State to cover all 774 local government areas nationwide.
“Our ambition is not 774 websites. It is 774 digitally empowered local governments delivering better experience to millions of Nigerians,” he said
