The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has expressed its readiness to draw lessons from China’s anti-corruption strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s policies and institutional response to corruption.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), made this known on Tuesday at the third edition of the International Diplomatic Dialogue held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The dialogue, organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, the research and training arm of the ICPC, was themed, “Experience Sharing in Anti-Corruption Policies and Strategies: The Chinese Perspective.”
Aliyu said comparative experiences and global best practices remained important in developing effective strategies that could address corruption within Nigeria’s peculiar circumstances.
He said, “As Nigeria continues to deepen its anti-corruption efforts, there is much value in learning from comparative experiences, understanding best practices, and identifying innovative approaches that can be adapted to our local realities.”
The ICPC chairman described corruption as a major threat to political, socio-economic and developmental progress, particularly in societies where it was allowed to thrive unchecked.
He noted that China had recorded significant progress in its fight against corruption through institutions such as the National Supervisory Commission and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Aliyu said the commission was particularly interested in understanding China’s institutional and legal reforms, enforcement mechanisms and policies aimed at preventing and combating corruption.
He recalled that the ICPC had previously hosted the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria and the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria as part of the first and second editions of the International Diplomatic Dialogue, respectively.
According to him, the engagements had provided opportunities for knowledge sharing and understanding how different countries were confronting corruption.
Also speaking, the Provost of ACAN, Prof Sheriff Ibrahim, said China’s transformation from one of the world’s poorest countries into a major economic and technological power was partly driven by strong political will and sustained efforts to combat corruption.
Ibrahim said China had strengthened its anti-corruption framework through unified investigations, a zero-tolerance approach and the deployment of technology to improve transparency and detect corrupt practices.
He also highlighted the relevance of Confucian values, including righteousness, propriety, wisdom, sincerity and integrity, in promoting ethical conduct.
The provost called for greater comparative learning between Nigeria and China, saying such exchanges could strengthen accountability and contribute to sustainable national development.
In his keynote address, the Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Yang Juanxing, said China’s anti-corruption strategy went beyond investigating and punishing individual offenders.
Yang said China had combined enforcement with prevention, institutional reforms, oversight and public education to tackle corruption.
He explained that the approach was designed to create a system where people were “unwilling to corrupt, unable to corrupt and afraid to corrupt.”
The Chinese diplomat stressed that accountability must apply to everyone, irrespective of position, power or personal connections.
He said, “No individual should consider himself above the law on account of position, power or personal connections,” adding that accountability must apply to all.
Yang identified values, strong institutions and the rule of law as essential pillars of a sustainable anti-corruption framework.
He urged the cultivation of integrity, transparent procedures, effective oversight and appropriate sanctions for violations of the law.
The International Diplomatic Dialogue is part of ACAN’s efforts to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences on anti-corruption practices between Nigeria and other countries.