ICPC Seeks Stronger Anti-Corruption Policies, Draws Lessons From China

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has expressed its readiness to draw lessons from international best practices and comparative experiences as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption policies and strategies.

The ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, stated this at the third edition of the International Diplomatic Dialogue, themed, “Experience Sharing in Anti-Corruption Policies and Strategies: The Chinese Perspective,” held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

In a statement issued by the Head of Media and Public Communications, J. Okor Odey, Aliyu said comparative experiences remained valuable to Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign, particularly in identifying innovative approaches that could be adapted to the country’s local realities.

He said corruption remained a major threat to political, socio-economic and developmental progress, particularly in societies where it was allowed to thrive unchecked.

According to him, China had made significant progress in its fight against corruption through institutions such as the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

He said the ICPC was interested in learning from China’s anti-corruption strategies and policies, including its institutional and legal reforms, as well as enforcement measures deployed to combat corrupt practices.

Aliyu recalled that the Commission 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 participants to exchange knowledge and experiences on different approaches to tackling corruption.

Speaking at the event, the Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (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 partly by strong political will and sustained efforts to combat corruption.

Ibrahim said China had strengthened its anti-corruption system through unified investigations, a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and the deployment of technology to promote transparency and detect corrupt practices.

He also highlighted the relevance of values associated with Confucian philosophy, including righteousness, propriety, wisdom, sincerity and integrity, in promoting ethical conduct.

The Provost called for greater comparative learning between Nigeria and China’s anti-corruption systems, saying such exchanges could strengthen accountability and contribute to 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 went beyond investigating and punishing individual offenders.

According to him, the Chinese approach combines enforcement with prevention, institutional reforms, oversight and education to create a system where people are “unwilling to corrupt, unable to corrupt and afraid to corrupt.”

Yang stressed the importance 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 to everyone, irrespective of status, adding that values, strong institutions and the rule of law were essential pillars of a sustainable anti-corruption framework.

He called for the cultivation of integrity, transparent procedures, effective oversight and appropriate sanctions for violations of the law.

The International Diplomatic Dialogue was organised by ACAN, the research and training arm of the ICPC, as a platform for sharing knowledge, ideas and experiences on anti-corruption practices among countries.