Most federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) failed key ethics and compliance standards in the 2025 assessment of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The findings were revealed on Tuesday during a press briefing in Abuja by ICPC chairperson, Musa Aliyu, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
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The results were drawn from the commission’s 2025 Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) and the ACTU Effectiveness Index (AEI), which assess adherence to ethical standards and the effectiveness of internal control mechanisms across federal MDAs.
Key findings
No MDA achieved full compliance in the 2025 assessment. Out of 344 MDAs evaluated, 48 demonstrated substantial compliance, 132 recorded partial compliance, 141 showed poor compliance, 23 were outright non-compliant, and 13 failed to respond, earning a high-risk classification.
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The assessment also exposed significant governance and administrative gaps across the public sector. A total of 169 MDAs lacked clearly defined core values, mission, and vision to guide their staff, while 191 had no policies regulating the acceptance of gifts, donations, or hospitality.
One hundred and two MDAs operated without strategic plans, and 154 did not monitor or evaluate their activities.
Furthermore, 289 MDAs failed to address corruption risk assessments, and 315 did not incorporate these assessments into their decision-making processes.
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The report stated that financial accountability also suffered, as 114 MDAs did not submit financial reports and 96 failed to provide timely audited accounts. Whistleblowing frameworks remained weak, with 241 MDAs lacking functional policies and 269 maintaining inaccessible policies.
The ACTU Effectiveness Index, which measures the performance of internal control units, revealed that only 33 ACTUs were very effective, 83 were effective, 142 were ineffective, and 10 remained dormant. Alarmingly, 89 MDAs had no ACTU at all, constituting a direct breach of national anti-corruption standards.
Top performers
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has emerged as the most effective federal agency in the 2025 Acting Civil Service Tracking Unit (ACTU) Effectiveness Index (AED), scoring 90.33, according to documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.
The index placed Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, second with 90.00, followed by Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, in Adamawa State, with 88.00.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Abuja, and the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), Abuja, also ranked among the top five, scoring 85.33 and 85.00, respectively.
Several of the top 20 MDAs, largely based in Abuja and northern states, demonstrated high operational effectiveness, recording scores between 90.33 and 77.00.
Agencies such as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) performed notably well.
Uneven performance in judicial institutions, other bodies’ poor scores
The Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja, ranked 50th with a score of 63.50, while the Federal High Court, Abuja, scored 62.50. The Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, placed 51st with 53.50.
The index also highlighted a number of low-performing and dormant agencies. The National Gallery of Arts (NGA) and the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Abuja, scored 9.50, while the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) recorded 10.00.
The Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi, scored 6.00, and the Metallurgical Training Institute (MTI), Onitsha, and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Abuja, recorded 6.20.
Several institutions scored zero, indicating either non-functioning operations or missing data. These included Galaxy Backbone Limited, the Federal College of Wildlife Management (FCWM), New Bussa; the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu; Benin, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Abuja, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja.
Implications
Mr Aliyu, while presenting the report, warned that weak administrative systems, ineffective internal control units, and poor whistleblowing frameworks undermine transparency and expose MDAs to financial mismanagement, procurement distortions, and project failures.
“The widespread weaknesses in administrative and ethical systems highlight the urgent need for stronger leadership and more effective internal controls. Such outcomes fall below acceptable public service standards and are entirely unacceptable,” he said.
Background
The Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard, launched in 2015 and fully institutionalised in 2019, monitors ethics, compliance, and integrity across Nigeria’s public sector. The ACTU Effectiveness Index complements the EICS by evaluating internal control units.
In 2024, Nigeria’s Supreme Court and 14 other agencies failed the 2024 assessment, reflecting ongoing concerns about corruption and operational irregularities.
Retiring Supreme Court Justice Dattijo Muhammad criticised the judiciary’s handling of funds in his October 2024 valedictory remarks, while Justice Ejembi Eko urged anti-graft agencies to scrutinise financial records.
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The 15 agencies that scored zero per cent in the 2024 assessment included the Supreme Court, Nigeria Press Council (NPC), Legal Aid Council (LAC), National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), and Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON).
The rest are Federal Teaching Hospital (Gombe), National Obstetrics Fistula Centre (Ningi, Bauchi State), Institute of Archaeology and Museum Studies (Jos), Federal University of Agriculture (Umudike, Abia State), Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation (Mando, Kaduna State), Obafemi Awolowo University (Ile-Ife, Osun State), Federal Polytechnic (Ede, Osun State), and University of Ibadan (Oyo State).
Top-performing agencies included the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB, 89.75 per cent), Nigerian Railway Corporation with 88.73 per cent, and Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc with 88.73 per cent.
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