Country: Nigeria
Website: www.fiscaltransparency.org
Social media: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn
Head of Organisation: Umar Yakubu, Executive Director
Focal Point: Tamara-Dise Berepubo, Head of Programs
Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Mission and Vision
To promote good governance, transparency, accountability and public sector integrity through advocacy.
To enhance human dignity in the public space.
Priority areas the organisation is working on
- Fiscal Transparency
- Public Sector Integrity
- Access to Information
- Data Science
- Organized Crime Prevention
Most important achievements in the past two years
The Centre developed a pioneer Transparency and Integrity Index that measures the extent of public institutions’ proactive disclosure of vital information related to good governance on websites. The Center also developed a tool for monitoring transparency in electoral financing.
Specific description of the CSO’s work on anti-corruption
Transparency and Integrity Index
The Index, the first of its kind in Africa, is research on public institutions’ compliance with principles of transparency, integrity, and open governance, drawn from national and international principles. The Index seeks to promote citizens’ access to information and participation in governance by encouraging government institutions to proactively disclose information on governance.
The international principles were drawn from United Nations Convention against Corruption, Financial Action Task Force, African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, UK Anti-corruption Summit 2016 and Open Government Partnership. The local principles are drawn from the Bureau of Public Procurement Act, Federal Character Principles, The Freedom of Information Act, 2011; The Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007; Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 and Executive Order No. 001, 2017.
All public institutions are assessed on variables including Website integrity; Fiscal Transparency; Open procurement; Anti-corruption; Citizens Engagement/Responsiveness and Human Resources and Inclusion.
United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
The Center developed a comprehensive manual based on Nigeria’s commitment to international legislation, such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to sustain existing anti-corruption efforts. The manual also entails the African Union Convention on Prevention and Combating Corruption, United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and Financial Action Task Force. The manual serves as a guide for public sector stakeholders to implement and a tool for civil society to monitor progress and effectiveness.
National Anti-corruption Strategy (NACS)
The Center was engaged by the office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to be the leading civil society partner for the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2017- 2021) and subsequent 2022 -2026. The Center and other civil society partners monitor compliance with the strategy.
To maximize implementation, the Center served as technical partner to the i. Senate Committee on Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption ii. House Committee on Financial Crime iii. House Committee on Anti-corruption and iv. Senate Committee on Judiciary on monitoring the implementation of the strategy by the executive arm of the government.
Probes Monitor
We developed the Probes Monitor Portal, a depository of information on grand-corruption-related investigations that were made public between 1999 and 2022 and have not been concluded. This portal is designed to raise awareness from relevant stakeholders to advocate and promote the conclusion of the abandoned probes while also serving as a platform for citizens to demand accountability.
Electoral Financing
To fortify our democracy, we developed the Electoral Financing Portal to promote transparency on election campaign spending. The portal entails information on all political candidates in Nigeria and their sources of political financing. The information on each aspirant’s page are responses from questionnaires administered to them. We also advocated for transparency in the finances of the electoral body -the Independent National Electoral Commission, and all political parties.
Passage of Anti-corruption Bills
In 2021, the Center was the lead civil society organization to engage with the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice for high-level support in the passage of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022, Witness Protection Act 2022, and Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
Preventive Program in Schools Initiative (PPSI)
The Centre developed the Preventive Program in Schools Initiative (PPSI), which focuses on educating young Nigerians on countering organized crime. There is a mobile application for students for educational and advocacy purposes.