ICPC Seeks Stronger Preventive Measures to Curb Corruption

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called for greater emphasis on preventive strategies and institutional safeguards to tackle corruption before it develops into corrupt practices.

The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, made the call on Tuesday at the Fourth International Diplomatic Dialogue organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the Commission’s research and training arm, at its headquarters in Abuja.

The dialogue, themed “Development of Anti-Corruption Strategies and Policies: The Russian National Experience,” featured the Minister Counsellor/Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria, Igor Ivannikov, who shared Russia’s experience in preventing and combating corruption.

Aliyu said corruption remained a major threat to development, stressing the need for anti-corruption institutions to continuously explore practical approaches that strengthen institutions, promote transparency and accountability, and build public trust.

He urged participants to translate the lessons from the engagement into practical actions that would strengthen institutions and improve anti-corruption outcomes.

“Corruption continued to pose a major threat to development,” the ICPC chairman said, adding that there was value in learning from comparative experiences and adapting proven approaches to Nigeria’s local realities.

Presenting the Russian experience, Ivannikov said an effective anti-corruption system must combine enforcement with measures designed to address the underlying causes of corruption.

He identified income and asset declarations by designated public officials, expenditure monitoring and conflict-of-interest prevention as key preventive measures in Russia.

According to him, financial declarations enable authorities to compare the legitimate income of public officials with their actual financial and property holdings.

Ivannikov also highlighted the review of legislation to identify provisions that could create corruption risks, including excessive official powers, unjustified discretion and unclear administrative procedures.

On public procurement, he said Russia had increasingly adopted digital platforms and risk-based monitoring to improve transparency in procurement and contract administration.

He, however, stressed that digitalisation alone could not eliminate corruption without effective oversight, access to information and accountability for violations.

The diplomat further listed codes of ethics, conflict-of-interest procedures, anti-corruption compliance officers and regular corruption-risk assessments as important components of a preventive framework.

He added that Russia’s enforcement measures included investigation of corruption-related offences, tracing and freezing of illicit assets, prosecution and determination of cases by the courts.

Earlier, the Provost of ACAN, Prof. Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, outlined the evolution of Russia’s anti-corruption legal and institutional framework.

He identified the Russian Criminal Code, Code of Administrative Offences, Federal Law on Civil Service and Federal Law on Combating Corruption as part of the country’s legal framework for addressing corruption.

Ibrahim also highlighted the roles of various institutions, including the Presidential Council for Countering Corruption, Prosecutor General’s Office, Investigative Committee, Ministry of Justice, Federal Security Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Accounts Chamber.

He noted that specialised anti-corruption supervision units were established within the Prosecutor General’s Office and prosecutors’ offices at constituent-entity level in 2007, in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

The ACAN provost also underscored Russia’s contribution to the establishment and continued support of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, stressing the importance of specialised training and institutional capacity development in the fight against corruption.