Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) said it would strengthen its regulatory function by moving its public officer asset declarations online through a new On-line Assets Declaration System (OADS), aiming to deepen transparency and enforce compliance in the fight against corruption.
Abdullahi Bello Usman, CCB chairman, said declaring assets was both a statutory obligation and a moral imperative. “While public officers must comply, it is CCB’s duty to enforce the code of conduct, of which assets declaration is integral. It is the bedrock of ethical governance,” he told a two-day capacity-building workshop on OADS in Lagos.
The workshop, “Improving the Effectiveness of Anti‑Corruption Processes and Reforms on OADS,” was organised by CCB with the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).
Usman, represented by Edward Koyonda, head of education and advocacy, warned corruption remained a major obstacle to Nigeria’s development, eroding public trust, stifling economic growth and perpetuating inequality.
He said manual systems were prone to inefficiency, opacity and abuse.
“This digital transition is not just an upgrade but a revolution,” Usman added, noting that technology would eliminate bottlenecks, reduce human interference and create an audit trail to deter malfeasance. The platform will allow real‑time monitoring by stakeholders.
Francis Onahor, senior programme manager at Community Life Project, said OADS would enhance efficiency, reduce errors and foster public trust by ensuring declarations were accurate and verifiable.
“This workshop marks a significant step in our collective efforts to promote transparency, accountability and integrity in public service,” he said.
Eze Onyekpere, executive director of CSJ, noted that the 1999 Constitution mandates asset and liability declarations at set intervals and empowers CCB to manage the process.
He warned that continuing paper-based declarations would pose massive logistical challenges in storage, processing and verification, and urged all public officers to embrace the digital platform.