AfDB and Nigeria Strengthen Corruption Safeguards to Protect Development Projects

Anele Ncube, PIAC Division Manager, described direct engagement with project teams as essential to understanding the realities of implementation and improving accountability mechanisms.

Development projects depend on more than funding and sound plans; the way contracts are awarded, payments are handled, and decisions are documented can determine whether communities receive the benefits promised. The African Development Bank Group and Nigeria's Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) brought project teams together in September 2026 to strengthen those safeguards, helping personnel recognise integrity risks before they disrupt delivery or undermine public value.

Organised by the Bank's Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption (PIAC) in partnership with ICPC, the workshop brought together project managers, accountants, procurement specialists and other personnel working across the Bank's Nigerian portfolio. Participants represented operations including the Nigeria Electrification Project, the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme and the Abidjan-Lagos Highway Corridor Project, connecting the training to investments in electricity, enterprise development and regional transport.

Spotting Risks Before Projects Suffer

Rosemond Offei-Awuku, the Bank's Chief Development Economist, urged project teams to maintain high standards of integrity and accountability, describing preventive training as an important way to identify problems early and strengthen internal controls. Speaking on behalf of Abdul Kamara, Acting Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery and Director General for Nigeria, she stressed the need to understand prohibited practices and take corrective action before problems affect procurement, disbursement or implementation.

The sessions examined corruption risks, procurement compliance and ethical leadership, with practical attention to the decisions and checks that shape everyday project management. Participants were introduced to the Bank's Proactive Integrity Review framework and discussed warning signs of corruption, managing conflicts of interest, integrity due diligence and whistleblowing mechanisms. Record-keeping requirements and screening related to money laundering and terrorist financing formed part of the training, reinforcing the importance of clear documentation and careful checks throughout a project's life.

Making Accountability Part of Daily Work

Anele Ncube, PIAC Division Manager, described direct engagement with project teams as essential to understanding the realities of implementation and improving accountability mechanisms. The workshop gave participants an opportunity to explain the challenges they encounter, exchange experiences and discuss preventive tools with the institutions responsible for supporting integrity in Bank-financed operations, grounding the conversation in the practical demands of delivering projects.

Clement Obaniyi, Deputy Director of ICPC, warned that corruption can strip even a well-designed project of its value, leaving spending unable to deliver the intended development benefits. He emphasised that ICPC's work includes educating institutions and strengthening prevention alongside enforcement, placing responsibility on organisations to build safeguards before misconduct damages results. His message underscored the connection between institutional controls and whether development funding produces meaningful improvements for communities.

Turning Training Into Better Project Delivery

For Taiwo Olawoyin, Senior Procurement Specialist with the Nigeria Electrification Project, the workshop offered useful lessons for daily procurement work, particularly the importance of proper documentation and accountability across the project cycle. He described the engagement with the Bank and ICPC as an opportunity to share experience and gain practical insights into handling implementation challenges and meeting compliance requirements.

The Nigeria workshop forms part of PIAC's wider effort to strengthen preventive integrity measures across the Bank's Regional Member Countries, following similar engagements in Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Kenya, Burundi and Cameroon. Further workshops are planned in Mozambique, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, extending an approach focused on helping project teams protect development resources, deliver value for money and ensure funding reaches its intended beneficiaries.