ICPC Eyes China’s Anti-Graft Model to Strengthen Nigeria’s Corruption Fight
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has opened discussions with China on its anti-corruption policies and institutional framework, seeking to draw lessons from the Asian country’s experience in strengthening accountability, enforcement and preventive measures against corruption.
The position was contained in a press statement issued by the ICPC on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, and signed by J. Okor Odey, Head, Media and Public Communications, ICPC, following the Commission’s Third Edition of the International Diplomatic Dialogue in Abuja.
The dialogue, themed “Experience Sharing in Anti-Corruption Policies and Strategies: The Chinese Perspective,” was held at the ICPC Headquarters and brought together Nigerian and Chinese officials to examine approaches to preventing and combating corruption.
Speaking at the event, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, said Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign could benefit significantly from comparative international experiences and the adoption of practices suited to the country’s peculiar circumstances.
“As Nigeria continues to deepen its anti-corruption efforts, there is much value in learning from comparative experiences, understanding best practices, and identifying innovative approaches that can be adapted to our local realities,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC chairman described corruption as a major threat to political, socio-economic and developmental progress, particularly in societies where corrupt practices are allowed to thrive without effective institutional resistance.
Aliyu said China had made significant progress in combating corruption through institutions such as the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
He explained that the Commission was particularly interested in examining China’s anti-corruption strategies, institutional and legal reforms, enforcement mechanisms and other measures deployed to strengthen the fight against corruption.
The ICPC chairman recalled that the Commission’s International Diplomatic Dialogue had previously featured engagements with the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria and the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, describing the interactions as valuable opportunities for exchanging knowledge and experiences on tackling corruption.
China’s Anti-Graft Experience
In his remarks, the Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Prof. Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, attributed part of China’s transformation from one of the world’s poorest countries into a major economic and technological power to strong political commitment and sustained anti-corruption efforts.
Ibrahim said China had strengthened its anti-corruption architecture through unified investigations, a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and the deployment of technology to promote transparency and detect corrupt practices.
He also highlighted the relevance of ethical values associated with Confucian philosophy, including righteousness, propriety, wisdom, sincerity and integrity, in promoting responsible conduct in public life.
The ACAN provost called for deeper comparative learning between Nigeria and China’s anti-corruption systems, arguing that such exchanges could strengthen accountability and contribute to sustainable national development.
Also speaking, the Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Counsellor Yang Juanxing, said China’s approach to fighting corruption extends beyond investigating and punishing individual offenders.
According to him, the Chinese model combines enforcement with prevention, institutional reforms, oversight and public education to create a comprehensive anti-corruption framework.
He said the objective was to build a system in which people would be “unwilling to corrupt, unable to corrupt and afraid to corrupt.”
Yang stressed that accountability must apply to everyone, regardless of position, power or personal connections.
He identified values, strong institutions and the rule of law as critical pillars of an effective and sustainable anti-corruption system, urging countries to promote integrity, establish transparent procedures, strengthen oversight mechanisms and ensure that violations attract appropriate sanctions.
ICPC Seeks Adaptable Global Best Practices
The Commission said the International Diplomatic Dialogue was organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the research and training arm of the ICPC, to provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences on anti-corruption practices among different countries.
The Commission maintained that continued engagement with international partners would help Nigeria identify practical strategies that could be adapted to its domestic environment while strengthening its institutional capacity to prevent and combat corruption.
The dialogue therefore represents another step in the ICPC’s effort to expand international cooperation and deepen policy learning as Nigeria continues its drive for greater transparency, accountability and integrity in public administration.
