President Bola Tinubu has approved a significant increase in the budget of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), raising it from about N3 billion to nearly N20 billion, in a move aimed at modernising Nigeria’s asset declaration and verification framework.
The Chairman of the CCB, Dr Abubakar Bello, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday. He said the budget expansion is designed to overhaul the bureau’s outdated systems, strengthen verification processes, and enhance enforcement of the Code of Conduct for public officers.
According to Bello, the bureau inherited a largely manual asset declaration system that relied on paper forms which were scarce, costly to produce, and difficult to store, analyse, and verify. He noted that when he assumed office, public servants across ministries, departments, and agencies frequently requested tens of thousands of forms that the bureau was unable to supply.
He explained that the situation was further compounded by the 2025 budget, which allocated only about N70 million for printing asset declaration forms—an amount sufficient to produce just 50,000 to 60,000 forms for more than 4.5 million public servants nationwide.
To address the shortage, Bello said the bureau adopted a temporary solution by uploading asset declaration forms on its website for public servants to download, a model inspired by Kenya. However, he stressed that the measure only addressed availability and not the fundamental weaknesses of a manual system.
The CCB chairman revealed that the bureau is now at an advanced stage of developing a fully digital asset declaration platform, following extensive stakeholder consultations. The platform, expected to be ready by the first quarter of 2026, will enable public servants to declare their assets online from anywhere in the world.
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He described the digital platform as a “game changer,” noting that it will be integrated with key national databases, including the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Bank Verification Number (BVN) system, land registries, and other government records to allow real-time verification.
Bello added that artificial intelligence will be deployed to analyse asset declarations, compare net worth at the beginning and end of a public servant’s tenure, and flag unexplained wealth or possible breaches of the Code of Conduct for further review.
As part of ongoing reforms, he said the bureau has commenced asset verification exercises involving ministers, permanent secretaries, and other senior public officials, stressing that verification should not be confused with investigation.
He disclosed that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, personally appeared for asset verification, describing the action as a strong demonstration of leadership by example.
According to Bello, the verification process has already resulted in interim forfeiture orders in cases where public officers failed to declare assets or could not satisfactorily explain their sources, including properties located both within and outside Nigeria. He added that some recovered funds have been transferred to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The CCB chairman warned that public servants who fail to declare their assets or refuse to honour verification invitations risk investigation and prosecution before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
He urged all public officers to comply with the bureau’s guiding principle: “Declare or Forfeit.”
