By Vivian Daniel

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has received strong commendation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for its leadership role in Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework, particularly in the area of asset recovery.

This was highlighted on Monday, 17 November 2025, when the UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure (Dr), led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Toure described the ICPC as a reliable and globally respected institution, noting that Nigeria continues to perform impressively on the international stage because of the Commission’s consistent results in retrieving stolen public assets.

“Nigeria remains one of the most effective countries in the world when it comes to recovering diverted assets,” he said.

According to him, the ICPC has shown “professional excellence and credibility” in its representation of Nigeria at global anti-corruption engagements.

He also highlighted the Commission’s preventive measures, especially the Anti-Corruption and Prevention Programme for Local Government (ACPP-LG), which he said has made a meaningful impact at the grassroots. With young people forming more than 70 per cent of the population, Toure stressed the importance of designing anti-corruption initiatives that speak directly to them.

He assured the Commission of UNODC’s readiness to deepen technical support, expand capacity-building projects, and reinforce institutional governance reforms.

Speaking on the agency’s broader mandate, the UNODC representative noted that the organisation uses its convening power to drive collaboration among national and international actors. He invited the ICPC to participate in the next high-level meeting on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) to be hosted by the Embassy of Finland.

“Our new five-year plan includes more than 400 action points that align with your work as a national anti-corruption agency,” Toure added, pledging enhanced cooperation on intelligence-gathering, wildlife crime, and establishing a digital knowledge hub to support efficiency within the public sector.

Responding, the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), described UNODC as one of the Commission’s strongest and most trusted partners. He expressed ICPC’s willingness to further strengthen joint efforts, especially in advancing local government autonomy, which he described as critical to curbing corruption at the community level.

Aliyu revealed that the Commission had made significant recoveries for the Federal Government in tax and pension matters and had blocked numerous leakages through proactive monitoring.

He noted that ICPC continues to prioritise programmes that engage youths and women, including last year’s strategic collaboration with the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

With corruption becoming increasingly technology-driven, the Chairman emphasised the need for innovation and digital tools in law enforcement.

“Corruption is evolving, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence. We must evolve with it,” he said, adding that the Commission had already deployed an AI-powered chatbot on its website and looked forward to deeper technological cooperation with UNODC.

The ICPC Chairman reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to transparency and ethical discipline.

“We work hard to maintain public confidence, and our strong performance in the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard reflects this dedication,” he stated.

The courtesy visit further strengthens the long-standing partnership between the ICPC and UNODC—signalling a renewed chapter of cooperation aimed at fortifying Nigeria’s anti-corruption systems and safeguarding public resources.