Fagbemi Calls for Robust M&E Framework to Check Corruption

Bennett Oghifo

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has stressed the need for a robust Monitoring and Evaluation framework in the public and private sectors to curb corruption and enhance the country’s development.

The Attorney-General gave this charge at the inauguration of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2022-2026 Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (M&E), at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, recently.

The minister said, “Corruption, as you are aware, is a formidable challenge to our National Development Goals. It undermines trust in public and private institutions, distorts resource allocation and incapacitates the ability of institutions to provide effective and efficient service delivery.”

Thus, Fagbemi emphasised the importance of a robust M&E framework, which he said, cannot be overstated.

“Monitoring & Evaluation activities serve as the backbone of any strategic initiatives, providing essential tools needed to identify gaps and challenges, measure progress, collate scientific data to improve on the implementation of strategic plans for quality policy making processes and informed decision making,” he added.

Also present at the inauguration were the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba; the Director, Technical Unit on Governance, and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Mrs. Jane Onwumere; the Director (Planning, Research and Statistics), Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Victoria Fila Ojogbane, and some senior staff of the Ministry of Justice.

“Your inauguration today is an attempt on my part at strengthening the capacity needed for the effective implementation of the NACS and its Action Plan 2022-2026,” the minister said.

The membership of the M&E Committee comprises representatives of key MDAs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Nigeria, he said, signed the United Nations Convention on Anti-Corruption on the 9th of December, 2003 and ratified same in 2004. Similarly, Nigeria adopted the ECOWAS Protocol on the fight against Corruption in 2001, and joined other Member States in adopting the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) in July 2003.

In addition to these, he said, “Several laws and policies have been put in place in compliance with our obligations under the UNCAC, at both the Federal and State Levels in Nigeria. In particular, Nigeria has taken steps to strengthen the institutional framework of our various Anti-Corruption Agencies, and foster collaboration with the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT), with the aim of tackling the growing incidence of corruption.

“Further, in compliance with national and international obligations, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in November, 2022, approved the extension of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) for another four (4) years i.e. NACS 2022 – 2026.”

Fagbemi said NACS, as a federal government policy was built on five pillars: Prevention of Corruption; Public Engagement; Campaign for Ethical Re-Orientation; Enforcement and Sanctions; and Recovery and Management of Proceeds of Crime.

The NACS recognises that while there was high global perception of the corruption problem in the country, there was however need for a contextual approach that interrogates the problem with a view to designing home grown interventions as much as possible.

One of the interventions necessary for achieving significant results in the fight against corruption was the development of effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. This ensures that government and organisations are more responsive to demands from internal and external stakeholders for good governance, accountability, transparency and greater efficiency and effectiveness.

He added, “As demands for greater accountability in governance continues to grow, there is an accompanying need for useful and useable results-based monitoring and evaluation systems to support the management of policies, programmes, and projects to address corruption in Nigeria.”

The overall objective of the M&E system, he noted, “is to strengthen public sector efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and transparency, with a view to enhancing service-delivery and ultimately contributing to the achievement of national goals on the subject.”

The NACS and its action plan 2022-2026 include several milestones outlining steps to consolidate the implementation of NACS. These include timeous and accurate release of reports on the status of implementation of the strategy and the number of corruption cases prosecuted. The work of the M&E Committee is therefore vital to conducting corruption risk assessments, setting up integrity mechanisms, and encouraging public awareness.

The terms of reference of the NACS Monitoring and Evaluation Committee/M&E Secretariat (TUGAR), include: Develop the M&E template including the assessment criteria; preparing the budget for execution of M&E programmes; advocating for the inclusion in MDA Budgets resources for the implementation of MDA specific activities specified in the NACS; Conduct quarterly monitoring visits to MDAs or as the need arises; conduct annual review of the progress of the implementation of NACS and submit its reports to the NACS Ministerial Committee through the NACS Secretariat by the 30th of January of each year; provide quarterly updates based on monthly self-assessments and quarterly reports of MDAs; among others.

The M&E Secretariat, which is TUGAR, has Onwumere as its Director.

TUGAR, the Attorney-General said, “Shall facilitate and coordinate activities of the Committee and additionally receive and disseminate outputs of the Committee, keep records and provide logistics and other support during meetings and trainings.”

He then requested all nominees to rise to be inaugurated, stating, “By virtue of my position as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the Chairman of the NACS Ministerial Committee, it is my honour and privilege to inaugurate the NACS 2022-2026 M & E Committee.

“I, therefore, urge all nominated members to be committed to the roles and functions of the Committee, as well as the vision and mission of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) stated above. Together, we can build a future where integrity and accountability are the norm; where justice is served, where the threat of corruption and its debilitating effects are minimised.”