The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced efforts to deepen its anti-corruption strategies by studying China’s experience in tackling corruption.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the third edition of the Commission’s International Diplomatic Dialogue, themed “Experience Sharing in Anti-Corruption Policies and Strategies: The Chinese Perspective.”
Aliyu said Nigeria could strengthen its anti-corruption campaign by learning from successful international models and adapting proven strategies to the country’s peculiar circumstances.
He stressed the importance of comparative learning, noting that understanding how other countries had confronted corruption could help Nigeria develop more effective and innovative policies.
According to him, corruption remained a serious impediment to political, socio-economic and developmental progress, particularly in environments where corrupt practices were left unchecked.
The ICPC chairman cited China as an important example, noting that the country had developed robust mechanisms for fighting corruption through institutions such as the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
He said the Commission was interested in China’s institutional and legal reforms, enforcement mechanisms and broader policies designed to prevent and punish corruption.
Aliyu also recalled that the ICPC had previously engaged Kenya and Indonesia through the first and second editions of the International Diplomatic Dialogue.
He said the engagements with the Kenyan High Commissioner and Indonesian Ambassador provided useful opportunities to examine how different countries were confronting corruption and strengthening accountability.
China’s Approach Combines Enforcement, Prevention
The Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Prof. Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, said China’s economic and technological transformation had been accompanied by strong political commitment and sustained efforts against corruption.
Ibrahim said China had strengthened its anti-corruption architecture through unified investigations, a zero-tolerance policy and the use of technology to enhance transparency and identify corrupt practices.
He also pointed to values associated with Confucian philosophy, including righteousness, propriety, wisdom, sincerity and integrity, as relevant to promoting ethical behaviour.
The ACAN provost urged Nigeria to deepen comparative studies of its anti-corruption system with China’s experience to improve accountability and promote sustainable development.
In his keynote address, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Counsellor Yang Juanxing, said China’s approach was not limited to prosecuting offenders.
He explained that the strategy combines enforcement, prevention, institutional reforms, oversight and education to create a system designed to make people “unwilling to corrupt, unable to corrupt and afraid to corrupt.”
Yang emphasised that nobody should consider himself above the law because of political office, influence, wealth or personal connections.
He said accountability must apply equally to all citizens, regardless of status.
The Chinese diplomat identified integrity, strong institutions, transparent procedures, effective oversight and the rule of law as critical pillars of a sustainable anti-corruption system.
The International Diplomatic Dialogue was organised by ACAN, the research and training arm of the ICPC, to facilitate the exchange of ideas, knowledge and experiences on anti-corruption policies and practices among countries.
