The Federal Government has called on Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to develop and implement homegrown anti-corruption strategies to strengthen transparency, accountability and public service delivery.
The call was made on Wednesday in Jos, Plateau State, during a three-day workshop focused on implementation tools for the Plateau State Integrity and Accountability Strategy (PLASIAS).
The workshop, which centres on the Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation framework, operating guidelines and implementation templates for PLASIAS, was declared open by the Head of the National Anti-Corruption Secretariat, Victoria Ojogbane, who represented the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
Ojogbane disclosed that only seven states had so far commenced the implementation of subnational anti-corruption strategies out of the 36 states.
She commended the Plateau State Government for being among the states that have moved beyond developing an anti-corruption strategy to preparing an action plan for implementation.
According to her, Plateau State’s action plan is expected to be validated on August 28, 2026.
She said the national anti-corruption framework was built around five key pillars: prevention, public engagement, ethical reorientation, enforcement and sanctions, and recovery of proceeds of corruption.
Ojogbane stressed that while the Federal Government provides the overall framework, states must take ownership of implementation to ensure that anti-corruption reforms produce tangible results.
She also linked corruption to poor public service delivery, noting that its effects are often reflected in inadequate healthcare, education, infrastructure and other essential services.
The workshop was organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC), funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA.
It brought together stakeholders from government ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations and local governments to strengthen the structures required for the implementation of PLASIAS.
The Lead Consultant on Transparency and Accountability for RoLAC, Prof. Ada Chidi Igbokwe, said the workshop was designed to provide practical tools for moving the strategy from policy to actual implementation.
The State Project Coordinator of RoLAC in Plateau, Mantim Dala, said weak accountability systems had affected governance and service delivery in areas including health, education, housing and infrastructure.
He stressed that the anti-corruption strategy was not intended to witch-hunt public officials but to prevent corrupt practices and promote adherence to due process.
The Federal Government therefore urged other states to develop similar strategies and ensure that they are properly implemented to strengthen public institutions and improve citizens’ confidence in government.
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