Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal Government has issued a strong call to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to develop and implement homegrown anti-corruption strategies, stressing that effective action at the subnational level is essential to improving transparency, accountability and public service delivery across the nation. The appeal was made on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, during a three-day workshop on the implementation tools for the Plateau State Integrity and Accountability Strategy (PLASIAS) in Jos, the Plateau State capital. The workshop, which focused on the Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation framework, operating guidelines and templates for PLASIAS, was declared open by the Head of the National Anti-Corruption Secretariat, Mrs Victoria Ojogbane, who represented the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
In her address, Ojogbane commended the Plateau State Government for advancing the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, but she also delivered a sobering reality check: out of the 36 states, only seven have so far commenced the process of developing subnational anti-corruption strategies. "At a recent engagement between the ICPC and the 36 Attorneys General in Abuja, I shared the scorecard. Out of 36 states, only seven have commenced subnational anti-corruption strategy implementation. I am proud to announce that Plateau State is one of the seven," she said. She noted that Plateau had gone beyond developing its strategy by preparing an action plan that was due for validation on August 28, 2026.
The Head of the National Anti-Corruption Secretariat stressed that laws and action plans do not implement themselves, and that people remain the critical stakeholders in implementing the State Action Plan. "Laws and action plans do not implement themselves. People do. All of you in this hall, and those yet to join, are critical stakeholders in implementing the State Action Plan," Ojogbane said. She explained that the national framework was anchored on five pillars: prevention, public engagement, campaign for ethical reorientation, enforcement and sanctions, and recovery of proceeds of corruption. According to her, state-level ownership remained critical to translating the national strategy into practical reforms. "The federal framework provides the architecture; state implementation provides the reality," she declared.
Ojogbane also drew a direct connection between corruption and poor public service delivery, stating that its effects were directly felt by citizens. "Corruption is not abstract. It is why a clinic has no drugs, a school has no roof, and a borehole has no water. It erodes public trust. Every reform that increases transparency and accountability is an act of justice," she said. She conveyed the commendation of the Attorney General to Governor Caleb Mutfwang and the Head of Service for what she described as their political will and commitment to the implementation of the strategy. The workshop, organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ROLAC), funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA, brought together stakeholders from ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations and local governments to finalise implementation structures for the Plateau State Integrity and Accountability Strategy.
The Lead Consultant on Transparency and Accountability for ROLAC, Prof. Ada Chidi Igbokwe, said the workshop was designed to provide institutions with practical tools to move PLASIAS from policy to implementation. "I believe that these strategies, when implemented, will strengthen transparency and accountability in the governance process across Plateau and other states that have keyed into the strategy," Igbokwe said. The State Project Coordinator of ROLAC in Plateau, Mantim Dala, said lapses in accountability had weakened governance systems and affected service delivery in sectors including health, education, housing and infrastructure. He urged participants to use the strategy to strengthen ethical standards in public institutions, stressing that it was not designed to witch-hunt public officials. "The anti-corruption strategy is not actually meant to witch-hunt anyone. It actually aims to prevent such from happening, because when you know that you have done nothing wrong and you have followed due process, you have nothing to fear whether in service or out of service," Dala said.
The Federal Government's call for homegrown anti-corruption strategies at the state level comes amid growing concerns over the effectiveness of the national anti-corruption framework, which has often been criticised for being too centralised and reactive. The National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2022-2026 provides a government-wide posture that should apply to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, but its implementation at the subnational level has been uneven. The revelation that only seven states have commenced the process of developing their own strategies highlights the scale of the challenge facing the country's anti-corruption crusade. The states that have taken the lead include Plateau, which has been commended for its proactive approach, and others that have signed on to the Open Government Partnership and adopted fiscal transparency reforms.
The call for state-level action is part of a broader push by the Federal Government to deepen transparency and accountability across all tiers of government. The Ministry of Finance has also been encouraging states to adopt transparency measures, with discussions already underway with state governments to develop comparable mechanisms for reporting their finances and spending. The Federal Government is planning a central transparency portal through which Nigerians can track allocations, budgets and projects at the state and local government levels. The proposed platform aims to improve accountability in the management of resources shared to states and local governments, and to give citizens access to reliable information on how public resources are being deployed.
The success of the anti-corruption campaign ultimately depends on the willingness of state governments to embrace transparency and accountability as core governance principles. The Federal Government has made it clear that it cannot fight corruption alone, and that states must play their part by developing and implementing their own strategies tailored to their unique contexts. The workshop in Jos is a step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to ensure that the remaining 29 states follow Plateau's example. As Ojogbane noted, corruption is not abstract; it is the reason why clinics have no drugs, schools have no roofs, and boreholes have no water. The fight against corruption must be fought at every level of government, and the time for states to act is now.
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