NNPCL, NFF, NYSC, 507 Others Score Low In Transparency, Accountability – Report

A new report by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) has rated 510 Nigerian government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) poorly on transparency and accountability measures.

The “Transparency and Integrity Index 2024,” released yesterday in Abuja, evaluated 514 MDAs, with only four receiving high marks.

During the report presentation, CeFTPI’s Executive Director, Umar Yakubu, explained that the MDAs were assessed on various criteria, such as anti-bribery policies, whistleblower policies, conflict of interest policies, corruption control implementation, and citizen engagement.

Yakubu emphasized that the report aims to gauge public institutions’ openness by examining their publication of information crucial to governance.

Additional factors considered in the rankings included budget allocations, budget releases, budget implementation, revenue remittance, and Auditor General reports from the past eight years.

According to Daily Trust, several agencies, such as the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ministry of Police Affairs, and Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, scored only 4 out of 100.

Others scoring similarly low include the National Assembly Service Commission and the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations.

Several MDAs, including the Nigeria Football Federation, National Broadcasting Commission, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), scored 8 out of 100.

Other agencies in this group include the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), National Hajj Commission, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, and the Bureau of Public Procurement.

Among the least transparent agencies were the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Debt Management Office, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and Nigeria-Export Import Bank.

On a positive note, only four agencies achieved high transparency scores: the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Development Bank of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) remarked that BPSR’s collaboration with CeFTPI is motivated by the bureau’s essential role in driving strategic reforms within MDAs, aligning with the broader goals of public financial management reforms.

He added that since the report’s introduction in 2021, “Records have revealed that most public institutions have adopted the methodology matrix, although responses remain low, the BPSR intend to intensify drive towards a broader awareness by all public institutions.”