Nigeria continues to contend with challenges of accountability, resource allocation, and service delivery, despite significant investments in education, health, and social sectors. These sectors are crucial for sustainable development, yet they suffer from inefficiencies, corruption, and a lack of transparency. According to UNICEF, over 10.5 million children are out of school in Nigeria, representing one of the highest rates in the world. Even with increased budget allocations, Nigeria’s education sector faces significant challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, low teacher quality, and high school dropout rates.

The healthcare system in Nigeria is plagued by issues such as poor funding, a shortage of medical personnel, brain drain, poor staff funding and inadequate facilities. The World Bank reports that Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally, with 814 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. Social programs aimed at reducing poverty and inequality often suffer from mismanagement and lack of accountability. For instance, the NSEG report (2019) shows that the National Social Investment Program (NSIP) has faced criticism for inefficiencies and corruption, which undermine its effectiveness in alleviating poverty.

JUNE 21, 2024

Preamble

The 21st International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) 2024, themed “Confronting Global Threats: Standing Up for Integrity” hosted in Vilnius, Lithuania from 18-21 June, brought together civil society activists, journalists, academia, development organizations, world leaders, thought leaders, business leaders, and change agents from more than 140 countries to discuss crucial corruption-related issues and devise strategies for promoting integrity on a global scale. 

Having participated in discussions on various thematic issues at the Conference, such as Strengthening the UNCAC’s Monitoring Mechanism to Increase Accountability & Promote Civic Space; Cutting off the Flow: Tackling Strategic Corruption in Political Finance; The Imperative of Inclusion: Marginalized Communities in The Fight against Corruption; Safeguarding Our Planet: Tackling Corruption in Climate Action, among others, we, the Nigerian delegates at the conference note the following disturbing trends in Nigeria.

Observations

1. 1. That it is evident that corruption in Nigeria has garnered international attention, as Nigeria was frequently used as a case study during the sessions at IACC.
2. 2. That despite the tireless efforts of civil society and anti-corruption agencies, Nigeria continues to grapple with rampant corruption in public sectors.
3. 3. That there is a disconcerting worry among the public regarding judicial corruption, a concern that has been further exacerbated by the frequent issuance of contradictory orders from courts. This growing unease stems from the perception that some judges may be susceptible to external influences, compromising the integrity and impartiality of the judicial system.
4. 4. That the lack of transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s security spending has resulted in minimal progress in ensuring the safety and security of its citizens. This is further exacerbated by the misuse of funds by civilian and military officials, perpetuating corruption.
5. 5. That there is pervasive gender inequality and social exclusion in the country, which has deepened corruption. 
6. 6. That despite the government’s professed commitment to combat corruption, there is still unwarranted political interference in the operations of national and subnational anti-corruption agencies.
7. 7. That the government’s economic policies, such as the removal of fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the Naira, have widened the gap between the rich and the poor, plunging millions of Nigerians into extreme poverty.
8. 8. That one of the critical components of anti-corruption efforts, such as whistleblowers, lack adequate support and protection from the government.
9. 9. That despite the existence of public procurement laws in Nigeria, contract awards and licensing processes remain veiled in secrecy, deviating from the prescribed standards of open contracting.
10. 10. That although democracy should safeguard the civic space and those operating within it, journalists, anti-corruption activists, and CSOs face incessant attacks from both state and non-state actors, hindering the participation of crucial stakeholders in Nigeria’s socio-political development.
11. 11. That there is a complete disregard for the Asset Declaration law and institutions in Nigeria. Despite the government and CSOs’ efforts to recover assets, mismanagement of these assets persists, and the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2022 remains non-operational.
12. 12. That the absence of CSO fighting coalitions in the nation has led to a situation where both the general public and political office holders disregard the principles of due process and the rule of law.

Resolutions:

In light of the aforementioned observations, we hereby make the following resolutions:

1. The Need for Collective Action:

• – To activate and mobilize the existing democratic coalitions in the country to collectively combat corruption.
• – To reaffirm our commitment to fighting corruption by providing necessary assistance to all stakeholders in addressing corruption within their respective domains. 
• – To collaborate with the private sector, professional bodies, organized labour, and the media to amplify discussions on corruption, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued, regardless of gender, region, or affiliation.

2. Dedication of Stakeholders:

• – To support and collaborate with key stakeholders to foster an environment of integrity and accountability.
• – To utilize the media and other social platforms to raise awareness about corruption issues and promote transparency in governance.
• – To provide resources and expertise to support reforms and enhance regulatory frameworks, ensuring their effective implementation.
• – To encourage compliance by urging both large and small, multinational and local organisations to conduct their affairs with integrity, without favouritism or undue influence.

3. The Impact of Corruption

4. Collective Resolve

• – Implementing Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) as a strategy to guarantee inclusivity for all.
• – Standing united in shaping a future where transparency and accountability are standard practices, not rare occurrences, in Nigeria.

Recommendations/Call to Action:

1. – We urge the President, Governors, Legislators, and other elected and appointed state officials to set a positive example and guarantee the transparent and accountable implementation of all regulatory frameworks, including the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
2. – We call on public officials to maintain the utmost integrity, fostering a culture of accountability, gender equality, and social inclusion at every level of government.
3. – We urge government entities at all levels to create and adopt a comprehensive implementation framework for the national anti-corruption strategy.
4. – We insist on transparency in the utilization of security vote funds, allowing civil society and the public to scrutinize the spending mechanism. This will ensure that the safety and security of citizens are adequately addressed.
5. – We call on law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and the Federal and State Ministries of Justice to fulfil their responsibilities by strictly enforcing anti-corruption laws and promptly apprehending and prosecuting those involved in illicit financial crimes.
6. – We demand the safeguarding of the civic space and the protection and security of civic actors, including citizen monitors, whistleblowers, and journalists, in their work and advocacy against corruption.
7. – We call all Nigerians to join us in this crucial moment as we strive for a brighter, more equitable, and prosperous Nigeria.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Signed:

1. Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
2. African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL)
3. Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED)
4. HEDA Resource Centre
5. Connected Development (CODE) 
6. Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC)
7. Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD)
8. Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch
9. Palace of Priests Assembly (PPA)

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The deployment of UZABE in this election cycle aligns with CODE’s objective to increase and share innovative approaches to information exchange through experimentation, research, and technology. Also, as an accredited INEC elections observer, CODE collaborated with other CSOs to actively participate in the 2023 election observation process, while training and deploying over 20,000 volunteer polling station observers. CODE’s Situation Room received and subjected incident reports to a multi-level verification system to provide 12,889 authenticated and verified reports across the 2023 election cycle, which provided a picture of Nigeria’s 2023 electoral process READ MORE

Financial-Statements-for-2022

To address SGBV in Kano state, Connected Development (CODE) through funding from the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria launched the project, Galvanizing Mass Action Against Gender‑Based Violence in Kano State (GMAA‑K). The GMAA‑K project is aimed at galvanizing the mass public and empowering women to mount advocacies against sexual and gender‑based violence (SGBV) and domestic abuse, as well as engage the government for the enactment of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law. The phase I of the project lasted for 3 months ‑ January to March 2021, while the second phase which started in November 2021 ends by March 2023. In the phases I and II of the project, CODE empowered gender advocates who work in communities to rollback GBV, leveraged new and traditional media for systematic sensitisation of the mass public on GBV, while engaging governmental actors on the passage of a VAPP bill and Child Protection Law (CPL), as well as the expansion of the Sexual Assault Referral Centres in Kano State READ FULL REPORT

Connected Development (CODE) wishes to redress the media and general public on the allegation of election result manipulation and relocation of  Local Government Collation centres in Ekiti State.

Following the recent narrative making the rounds on media tabloids that Connected Development alleged the manipulation of the Presidential and National Assembly (NASS) results as well as the relocation of Local Government Collation centres in some States, CODE wishes to provide clarity on these narratives.

Connected Development in collaboration with her partners held a press conference on Sunday 26th of February, 2023 to give an update on the electoral process as observed with her electoral intelligence tool–Uzabe. 

At the conclusion of the conference, we noticed reports stating that CODE alleged a manipulation of the presidential and NASS elections as well as a relocation of Local Government collation centres particularly in Ekiti State.

It is fundamental to reiterate that while CODE has a mandate to enhance effective democratic governance and accountability, using technologies such as Uzabe to close the feedback loop between citizens and the government, we however, realise that collaboration with other institutions with similar objectives will aid in effectively charting our course.

On this note, we would like to reiterate that CODE’s Uzabe platform is not particularly concerned with the results of the election but is interested in the processes of the elections to ensure that INEC’s guidelines are adequately met.

We also wish to state that the reports on the “Local Government Collation centres in Ekiti State being relocated with new location being shrouded in secrecy” was printed in a haste. Our observers had drawn attention to the fact that collated results were not made public and raised concerns over transparency of the electoral process.

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About Connected Development:

Connected Development (CODE) is Africa’s leading Civil Society organisation that empowers marginalised communities with access to information while creating platforms for informed debates using data to inform policy and decision-making centred around citizens’ service delivery.

Contact: Seun Durojaiye

seun@connecteddevelopment.org

Our organization is accepting proposals from audit firms to provide audit (and tax) services for our organization in the coming year. We invite your firm to submit a proposal to us by January 23rd, 2023, for consideration. A description of our organization, the services needed, and other pertinent information follows:

Background

Connected Development [CODE] is a non-government organization [NGO] whose mission is to empower marginalized communities in Africa.

We strengthen local communities by creating platforms for dialogue, enabling informed debate, and building capacities of citizens on how to hold their government accountable through Follow The Money.  CODE provides marginalized and vulnerable communities with resources to amplify their voices with independence and integrity while providing the communities with information that ushers social and economic progress.

The organization has a January 1  fiscal year-end, with a requirement to file an audited financial statement by March 30 of each year.

Services to Be Performed

Your proposal is expected to cover the following services: 

1.  Annual audit to be completed in compliance with the above filing requirement and meetings with the audit committee and or board of directors, as necessary. 

2.  Tax filings for the organization and related foundation. 

3.  Quarterly reviews of internally prepared financial statements.

Your Response to This Request for Proposal

In responding to this request, we request the following information: 

1.  Detail your firm’s experience in providing auditing and tax services to companies in the not-for-profit sector, as well as associations of comparable size to Connected Development, including those with international memberships. 

2.  Provide information on whether you provide services to related industry associations or groups.

3.  Discuss the firm’s independence with respect to Connected Development

4.  Discuss your commitments to staff continuity, including your staff turnover experience in the last three years. 

5.  Identify the five largest clients your firm (or office) has lost in the past three years and the

reasons. Also discuss, in instances where loss of the client was due to an unresolved auditing or accounting matter, the process of attempting to resolve the issue(s). 

6.  Identify the partner, manager, and in-charge accountant who will be assigned to our job if you are successful in your bid, and provide biographies. Indicate any complaints against them that have been leveled by the state board of accountancy or other regulatory authority, if any. Indicate any corrective actions that have been taken by the firm with respect to these people. 

7.  Describe how your firm will approach the audit of the organization, including the use of any association or affiliate member firm personnel and the areas that will receive primary emphasis.  Also, discuss the firm’s use of technology in the audit. And finally, discuss the communication process used by the firm to discuss issues with the management and audit committees of the board. 

8.  Set forth your fee proposal for the 2022 audit, with whatever guarantees can be given regarding increases in future years. Provide your proposed fee for the required quarterly review work and for tax preparation. 

9.  Provide the names and contact information for other, similarly sized clients of the partner and manager that will be assigned to our organization for reference purposes. 

10.  Describe how and why your firm is different from other firms being considered, and why our selection of your firm as our independent accountants is the best decision we could make. 

11.  Include a copy of your firm’s most recent peer review report, the related letter of comments, and the firm’s response to the letter of comments.

12. Among other things, also include evidence of registration with Auditors’ General Office, your Firm’s Tax Filing, as well as the most recent audited report. 

Evaluation of Proposals

CODE will evaluate proposals on a qualitative basis. This includes our review of the firm’s 

peer review report and related materials, interviews with senior engagement personnel to be assigned to our organization, results of discussions with other clients, and the firm’s completeness and timeliness in its response to us. 
Please submit your response to this request for proposal to audit@connecteddevelopment.org by January 23, 2023.

Education is the most powerful investment in our future. But the Nigerian education system is in a state of emergency and the country is lagging behind even the poorest countries on the continent.

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