Kasie Abone , Awka
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has expressed its readiness to deepen international collaboration and adopt relevant global best practices in its efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption policies and strategies.
The Chairman of the Commission, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the third edition of the International Diplomatic Dialogue, organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the research and training arm of the ICPC.
These were contained in a statement signed by ICPC Head of Media and Public Communication, Mr. J. Okor Odey
The dialogue, themed, “Experience Sharing in Anti-Corruption Policies and Strategies: The Chinese Perspective,” provided a platform for Nigeria and China to exchange perspectives on institutional reforms, enforcement mechanisms, preventive measures and other strategies for combating corruption.
Aliyu said Nigeria stood to benefit significantly from comparative international experiences, particularly by studying approaches that had yielded results in other jurisdictions and adapting them to the country’s peculiar realities.
He said, “As Nigeria continues to deepen its anti-corruption efforts, there is much value in learning from comparative experiences, understanding best practices, and identifying innovative approaches that can be adapted to our local realities.”
The ICPC chairman described corruption as a major threat to political stability, socio-economic advancement and sustainable development, warning that its impact could become more damaging where corrupt practices were allowed to thrive unchecked.
He said China’s experience was particularly relevant to Nigeria, noting the significant progress made by the country in strengthening its anti-corruption architecture through institutions such as the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
According to him, the ICPC was interested in learning from China’s policies and strategies, particularly its institutional and legal reforms, enforcement mechanisms and other measures deployed to prevent and combat corruption.
Aliyu recalled that the ICPC had previously hosted the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria and the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria during the first and second editions of the International Diplomatic Dialogue, respectively.
He said the engagements had provided opportunities for knowledge-sharing and a better understanding of how different countries were addressing corruption and strengthening accountability.
Also speaking, the Provost of ACAN, Prof. Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, said China’s transformation from one of the world’s poorest countries into a major economic and technological power was driven, in part, by strong political will and sustained efforts to tackle corruption.
Ibrahim said China had strengthened its anti-corruption framework through coordinated investigations, a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and the deployment of technology to enhance transparency and detect corrupt practices.
He also drew attention to the relevance of traditional Chinese ethical values, including righteousness, propriety, wisdom, sincerity and integrity, in promoting responsible conduct and strengthening ethical standards in public life.
The ACAN Provost called for increased comparative learning between Nigeria and China, stressing that lessons from both countries’ experiences could contribute to stronger accountability, institutional effectiveness and sustainable national development.
In his keynote address, the Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Counsellor Yang Juanxing, said China’s anti-corruption strategy extended beyond the investigation and punishment of individual offenders.
According to him, the Chinese approach combines enforcement with prevention, institutional reforms, oversight and public education in building a comprehensive anti-corruption system.
He explained that the objective was to create a system in which people would be “unwilling to corrupt, unable to corrupt and afraid to corrupt.”
Yang stressed the principle of accountability, maintaining that no individual should consider himself above the law because of his position, power or personal connections.
He said accountability must apply universally, irrespective of an individual’s social or political status.
The Chinese diplomat identified strong ethical values, effective institutions and respect for the rule of law as critical pillars of a sustainable anti-corruption framework.
He called for the cultivation of integrity, transparent administrative procedures, effective oversight mechanisms and appropriate sanctions for violations of the law.
The International Diplomatic Dialogue is one of the initiatives of ACAN aimed at facilitating the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences on anti-corruption policies and practices among Nigeria and other countries.
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