The Nigerian Federal Government has introduced a new virtual interactive platform to support compliance with the Code of Conduct for public servants nationwide.
The tool, officially launched in Abuja by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, is a significant achievement in ethics reform efforts.
Mrs. Walson-Jack stressed the timing of the initiative, terming it “a timely and critical step in promoting integrity and ethical conduct throughout the civil service.” She added that “without ethics, no reform will last. ”
She reiterated that the platform will bring the Code into the twenty-first century, making it accessible and convenient to all public officers.
She explained the platform as a compass that guides public servants with openness on ethical values, hence eliminating ignorance as a defense of abuse of office. She further warned that an honest public service cannot thrive where due process is viewed as discretionary.
Developed by the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) in collaboration with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the platform is based on a 2018 scoping survey and gap analysis of the ethics architecture of Nigeria.
“Its design allows for collective appreciation of the provisions of the Code, strengthens training, and ensures uniform application across the country,” says Mrs. Walson-Jack.
Mrs. Jane Onwumere, Director of TUGAR, explained that the platform was designed to ensure that everyone in public service receives the proper training to understand and apply the Code in the normal course of their work.
She emphasized the platform’s coverage across the country, affordability, accessibility, and capacity to track compliance by civil servants.
Dr. Abdullahi Bello, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, praised the platform as “a learning platform that demonstrates every code with good examples,” like avoiding conflict of interest and achieving transparency by way of asset declaration.
He dared all public officers to utilize the tool to guide their work with integrity and accountability.
Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, described the launch “a bold reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to good governance.”
He added that although the Code of Conduct has been the moral pillar of public service for decades, its impact was limited by low awareness and access, and making it online is a step towards ethical leadership.
Reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) confirm that the programme is funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the Centre for Democracy and Development, and the NAKASI Project, all of which are collaborative funders of ethics and anti-corruption reforms in Nigeria’s public sector.