The Federal Government has urged state governments to move beyond the enactment of anti-corruption laws and strategies, warning that such measures will have little impact without concrete action and effective implementation at the state level.
The government made the call while urging states to adopt and implement the National Ethics and Integrity Policy and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, noting that only seven states have so far commenced the implementation of subnational anti-corruption strategies, leaving 29 states yet to begin the process.
The National Anti-Corruption Secretariat stressed that the success of the anti-corruption campaign depends largely on the willingness of governments and public officials to translate policies into practical measures.
“Laws and action plans do not implement themselves. People do.”
The Federal Government said corruption remained a major obstacle to effective public service delivery and development, with its consequences reflected in critical sectors such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.
It noted that corruption could result in public facilities being left without essential resources, depriving citizens of the benefits of government programmes and investments.
The government therefore called on states to strengthen preventive measures, improve accountability mechanisms and ensure that anti-corruption frameworks are not left as policy documents without implementation.
The five key pillars of the national strategy include prevention, public engagement, ethical reorientation, enforcement and sanctions, as well as the recovery of proceeds of corruption.
The Federal Government maintained that effective implementation at the subnational level would strengthen transparency and accountability while helping to restore public confidence in government institutions.
The development comes amid renewed calls for stronger accountability in the management of public resources, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission recently confirming investigations involving 18 state governments over alleged mismanagement of public funds.
The government’s latest position therefore places greater responsibility on state governments to demonstrate that their anti-corruption commitments can translate into measurable action and improved governance.
