POOR access to procurement data, entrenched fraud in the private sector, and a misaligned budgeting system are some of the barriers to the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
Stakeholders raised this concern on Tuesday, December 10, during a panel discussion at the closing ceremony of the International Centre for Investigative Journalism’s (ICIR) Open Contracting Reporting Project (OCRP) in Abuja.
The event brought together governance and anti-corruption advocates to assess the challenges of combating corruption, particularly in public procurement.
The ICIR reported that the OCRP, a seven-year project supported by the MacArthur Foundation, trained over 300 journalists from newsrooms across Nigeria, leading to the publication of over 500 investigative reports, many of which made impacts and earned prestigious awards.
At the event on Tuesday, panellists, including Hamza Lawal, chief executive officer (CEO) of Connected Development (CODE); Gabriel Okeowo, country director of BudgIT; Ife Olatunji David of the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC); Victoria Bamas, editor at The ICIR; and development journalist Khadija Bawas, pointed out that limited access to accurate procurement data continued to obstruct efforts to track government spending and expose sleazes.
Speaking at the event with the theme, “Combating Corruption in Nigeria: The Imperative of Starting with Procurement Fraud,” The ICIR editor, Bamas, decried the lack of transparency in public procurement processes, noting that many government agencies failed to provide complete or accurate information.
She explained that investigative journalists and civil society organisations frequently encountered barriers when attempting to obtain critical details on public contracts.
According to her, this lack of openness frustrates accountability efforts.
“Access to data is a major challenge. Many state Bureau of Public Procurement offices lack functional emails, and when you send requests, they often bounce back, forcing you to physically visit their offices for information…
“At the state level, many procurement portals are not accessible. Some agencies simply allow their platforms to go down, making it even harder to track or verify procurement processes,” she said.
While addressing corruption within Nigeria’s private sector, Ife David of the PPDC said corruption in private enterprises often enabled unethical practices in government.
She argued that while attention is usually focused on the public sector, fraudulent activities in the private sector play a significant role in sustaining systemic corruption.
On his part, Country Director of BudgIT, Gabriel Okeowo, criticised Nigeria’s budgeting process, describing it as disconnected from national development goals.
He noted that some ministries, departments, and agencies lobbied the National Assembly to allocate funds for projects routed through their offices for personal gains.
Okeowo warned that this practice not only misappropriated resources but also undermined public trust in government budgeting.
Similarly, the chief executive officer of Connected Development (CODE), Hamza Lawal, highlighted the role of grassroots advocacy in demanding accountability, sharing how citizens’ awareness led to the timely implementation of abandoned projects.
“Sadly, corruption is now part of our culture. There’s an expectation and perception about you as you walk into any place. We’ve embraced it; we’re in bed with corruption…
”At the sub-national level, where governors and local government chairmen are untouchable, it’s deeper than at the national level. There, they kill you, or you go missing, or something happens to your family house,” he said.
He noted that when the country gets to a point where it has a national strategy and amends the Procurement Act to designate one agency for procurement, it would reduce inefficiencies and improve accountability.
A journalist and one of the OCRP fellows, Khadija Bawas, while describing the significant risks faced by journalists, shared her experiences exposing corruption.
She recounted an incident where she had to escape a dangerous situation by hiding in a car transporting cows after uncovering corruption.
Bawas emphasised that the culture of fear and intimidation remained a major obstacle, but stressed the importance of investigative journalism in driving accountability.
The panelists agreed that corruption in Nigeria requires a multi-faceted approach, involving government, civil society, and citizens.
They called for systemic reforms to improve access to procurement data, enhance private sector accountability, and align budgeting processes with national development priorities.
While acknowledging the immense challenges, the panellists maintained that a corruption-free Nigeria is possible with sustained effort and collective action.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M