Nigeria: Neiti, EFCC, ICPC Forge Alliance to Tackle Graft in Extractive Sector

27 January 2026
This Day (Lagos)
By Emmanuel Addeh

Abuja — The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has reaffirmed its commitment to accountability in Nigeria's oil, gas, and mining sectors by strengthening its partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

During separate visits to the headquarters of both agencies, NEITI's Executive Secretary, Musa Adar, underscored the urgency of deepening collaboration to enforce transparency, remediate audit findings, and plug systemic revenue leakages in the extractive industries.

Adar emphasised that since assuming office, his priority has been to engage strategically with institutions whose statutory mandates align with NEITI's mission. He described EFCC and ICPC as indispensable partners in ensuring that NEITI's transparency disclosures translate into concrete enforcement outcomes.

"This partnership is not just about disclosure. It is about accountability, corrective actions, and measurable impact. As Nigeria prepares for the 2026 EITI validation, our collective responsibility is to demonstrate that transparency leads to real change," Adar stated.

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The executive secretary highlighted that the forthcoming EITI validation will assess Nigeria's implementation of the 2023 EITI Standard across three critical pillars: Transparency, stakeholder engagement as well as outcomes and impact.

NEITI formally sought the continued cooperation of EFCC and ICPC under the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), calling for stronger joint action through information sharing, technical collaboration, and coordinated follow-up on cases arising from NEITI's audit reports.

EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, described NEITI's audit reports as "indispensable raw materials" for investigations, noting that the commission has already established a dedicated Extractive Industry and Fraud Section to tackle sector-specific financial crimes. He pledged to review and strengthen the MoU with NEITI to enhance coordination and impact.

On his part, the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN) hailed NEITI as a 'critical vanguard' in the fight against systemic corruption. He highlighted the operationalisation of ICPC's Special Extractive Industry Desk, created specifically to act on NEITI's audit findings.

"By combining NEITI's forensic data with ICPC's investigative and prosecutorial powers, we have moved beyond reporting infractions to rectifying them," he said.

He assured NEITI of ICPC's continued partnership, stressing that Nigeria's natural wealth must deliver tangible development outcomes and that public expectations for accountability remain high.

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