The deployment of technology has been identified as crucial to the fight against corruption and Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs).
The Chairman of Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices, and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye made this known at the presentation of demo hacking solutions by seven innovators at the ICPC Headquarters, Abuja.
The Illicit Financial Flows Hackathon is an initiative of the ICPC and the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA with the support of the Ford Foundation, West Africa.
The demo hacking solutions aimed at curbing corruption and IFFs in the government budgets and Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, and procurement processes in Nigeria.
The ICPC Chairman explained that “the role of technology would not be underrated in the fulfillment of the Commission’s mandate of investigation and prosecution of breaches of the law.”
Owasanoye said, “Technology is crucial to eliciting, analyzing, and preserving evidence for prosecution. In the past three years, the Commission has invested in technology to enhance its forensic capability and trained staff in digital documents analysis, handwriting analysis, polygraphic technology, and sundry skills.”
“In the past 15 years, the Government has generally invested in technology to fight corruption, especially by prevention. The role of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS), Treasury Single Account (TSA), Open Treasury Portal (OTP), the establishment of Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and the private sector initiated Bank Verification Number (BVN) has contributed in no small way to reducing corruption,” Owasanye explained.
He emphasised the need for collaboration by law enforcement agencies in the deployment of more technology to reduce the opportunity for money laundering.
Owasanoye said; “Appropriate technology deployment would have given law enforcement agencies, administrators, and regulators of the process adequate leverage to know what school-feeding funds were being used for. Technology penetration in Nigeria today makes this very possible. Such platforms would help nip anomalies in the bud and save the government huge sums of money as well as prevent abuse, corruption, and money laundering.”
On the IFF Hackathon, Professor Owasanoye explained that it provided an opportunity for young people to use their creativity and entrepreneurial skills in leveraging emerging technologies to combat corruption and other unethical practices that impact negatively the socio-economic fortunes of the nation.
He promised that the anti-corruption agency, the NITDA, and the Ford Foundation would further work on the demo hacking solutions presented by the young innovators.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, advocated clear policies by the government in the fight against corruption.
Represented by a Deputy Director, Mr. Kashim Ibrahim, the Minister said recovered funds from the proceeds of corruption would be used by the government to address critical needs.
Also speaking, the Director General of NITDA, Mr. Kashimu Abdullahi, said the innovative ideas would assist in the realisation of the objectives of the digital transformation agenda of the government.
He said; “The initiative relates to three of the pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) of the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy.”
Represented by Mr. Oladeji Olayemi, the NITDA Boss said, “the relevant pillars are Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Promote Indigenous Content, Emerging Technologies and Digital Transformation on the part of the NDEPS while on the part of SRAP are Digital Services Development and Promotion, Indigenous Content Development and Adaptation and Digital Society and Emerging Technologies.”
The Regional Director, of Ford Foundation West Africa, Dr. Chichi Okoye, expressed the Foundation’s excitement with the Hackathon idea because of its importance to the fight against Corruption in the country.
Okoye commended the ICPC for initiating the project, saying the Commission has rebuilt its confidence in the government’s ability.
She congratulated the participants for their innovative ideas.
The presentation of the demo hacking solutions as a digital answer to diminishing corruption in school feeding programmes by seven innovators was the highlight of the programme.
The young innovators were tasked to come up with clearly defined ideas and prototype solutions to checkmate IFFs with an emphasis on leveraging emerging technologies.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
