UNODC Lauds ICPC for Leading Nigeria’s Asset Recovery Drive

UNODC Lauds ICPC for Leading Nigeria’s Asset Recovery Drive

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has praised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for its strong leadership in asset recovery and the wider fight against corruption in Nigeria.

The UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure, gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters on Monday in Abuja. He said Nigeria’s successes in recovering stolen assets stood out globally, noting that the ICPC had demonstrated consistency and effectiveness despite the country’s challenging anti-graft landscape.

According to Toure, no country matches Nigeria’s performance in asset recovery, a feat he attributed to ICPC’s credible representation of the nation at international anti-corruption forums.

He described the Commission as “a good custodian of the provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption,” adding that its high-profile convictions highlight the country’s commitment to accountability.

Toure also commended ICPC’s preventive initiatives, especially the Anti-Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Government (ACPP-LG), which he said had made a significant impact at the grassroots. He announced UNODC’s readiness to strengthen the programme, stressing that youths, who make up over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, must remain central to anti-corruption interventions.

He informed the Commission that UNODC continues to use its convening power to align stakeholder perspectives on emerging issues and extended an invitation to the next meeting on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs), to be hosted by the Embassy of Finland. He said the agency’s ongoing five-year plan contains more than 400 action points that ICPC can key into.

Toure also called for deeper cooperation in strengthening sub-national anti-corruption systems, intelligence gathering, wildlife crime, institutional development, and the establishment of a digitalised knowledge repository to improve organisational performance.

Responding, ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, expressed appreciation for the visit, describing UNODC as a dependable partner. He restated the Commission’s commitment to closer collaboration, particularly in advancing local government autonomy as a means of reducing corruption at the grassroots.

Dr Aliyu said the Commission had recovered substantial sums in tax- and pension-related matters and had blocked several corruption loopholes across government agencies. He noted that the Commission places priority on youths and women, citing several initiatives held in partnership with stakeholders, including an empowerment programme last year with the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

He added that the Commission was scaling up its use of technology to match the evolving nature of corruption. According to him, the launch of an AI-powered chatbot on the Commission’s website was part of this effort, and he welcomed further support from UNODC.

“The Commission strives to maintain integrity and transparency in all its operations to sustain public confidence. Our third-place ranking in the deployment of the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard reflects this commitment,” he said.