NIPC, Kaduna take top spots in transparency, integrity ranking

The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Kaduna State Government have emerged as leaders in the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII), according to a report released on Monday by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI).

NIPC was ranked as the most transparent federal institution, while Kaduna State secured the top position among state governments on the transparency table.

While the NIPC scored 84.14 per cent, leading 518 assessed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and government-owned enterprises, while Kaduna scored 54.68 per cent, leading 35 other states.

Umar Yakubu, the executive director of CeFTPI, presented the report at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja.

The TII, developed in 2021 by CeFPTI in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), evaluates institutions against established standards of transparency, accountability, and integrity across five core thematic areas: Fiscal Transparency, Open Procurement and Contracting, Human Resources and Inclusion, Control of Corruption, and Citizens’ Engagement.

TII 2026 performance

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) ranked second with a score of 80.13, improving upon its third-place finish in the 2025 rankings.

The anti-corruption agency is followed by the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) 78.43, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) 73.22, Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) 68.65, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) 60.87, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) 60.43, Bank of Industry (BOI) 57.56, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) 49.83, and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) 49.60.

The report noted that only a few institutions performed well, with many scoring less than 20 per cent. It added that 120 institutions scored 14.50 per cent.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development ranked the lowest with 0 per cent.

For states, Osun followed Kaduna with 50.54 per cent. All other states scored below 50 per cent. Niger State came last.

SGF charges institutions, states

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said the institutions assessed should be spurred by the report to improve on their performances.

“For agencies scoring well, the task is to consolidate and sustain those best practices,” Mr Akume said. “For those with gaps, the task is introspection and action. Leaders should ask, why did we score this way and what practical steps can we take to improve?”

He encouraged institutions to integrate the findings into their strategic plans and reforms.

“Discuss them in your management meetings. The report should not sit on the shelf and should inform management decisions, budget priorities, procurement processes, staff training, digital disclosure and how you communicate with the people.”

Mr Akume commended the CeFTPI and BPRS for sustaining this initiative and developing its practical tools. He noted that the annual evaluation sets benchmarks to see what has been done “and where we must do better.”

“Today, we have all been reminded that the push to end corruption globally is an ideal that would be accomplished through promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in governance. The 2026 Index that would help define us is one practical way through which these ideas are being advanced,” he said.

The Director General, BPSR, Dasuki Arabi, stressed the importance of the report, noting “that it answers the questions Nigerians are asking.”

He said, “Nigerians are becoming anxious to know how public resources are distributed and managed, what procedures are employed in the procurement process, and to know if recruitment processes are fair and open.

“The motive behind the index is not punitive, nor is it meant to shame or disgrace anybody or any institution of government, but it’s a fair and proactive method to get institutions of government to publicly declare information that they are supposed to make open.”

Thematic performances

For financial disclosure, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) scored 100 per cent.

Only 14 institutions scored above the 50 per cent threshold under this themaric area.

They are NIPC, NDIC, Nigerian Content and Development and Monitoring Board, TETFund, Family Homes Fund, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU), DBN, ICPC, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NHRC, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, BOI and Nigeria Maritime University Okerenkoko, Delta.

Twenty-four states performed above 50 percent. The top five are Kwara State, 100 per cent, followed by Kogi and Rivers at 95.55, Bauchi State at 93.33 and Gombe at 91.11.

Procurement, human resources, and inclusion

Under procurement, ICPC and NIPC scored 100 per cent, TETFund 93.33, NHRC 80 per cent, NOSDRA 73.33, DBN 60, and Federal Housing Authority, Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) collectively scored 53.33.

For states, only Delta (80) and Osun (66.67) scored above 50 per cent.

Under human resource and inclusion, ICPC scored 87.50, then NOSDRA and NERC scored 82.50, and DBN and NIPC scored 75.

Similarly, NNPCL, Police Service Commission (PSC) and TETFund scored 62.50, and the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and UBEC scored 50 per cent.

All other institutions scored less than 50 per cent. In this category, all states performed below 30 per cent.

Control of corruption

For control of corruption, BOI, DBN and NOSDRA topped the chart at 100 per cent, followed by ICPC, NESREA, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, NDIC, Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited, Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited, NIPC, Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Ibadan, at 80 per cent.

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Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan; NHRC, National Inland Waterways Authority, National Institute for Cultural Orientation, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIA, Nigerian Law Reform Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) came third with 60 per cent.

All of the other institutions scored below 50 per cent.

For states, only Kaduna scored 100 per cent; meanwhile, all other states scored 40 per cent and below.

Citizens engagement

More than half the institutions excelled in citizens’ engagement. The report noted that 378 institutions scored above the 50 per cent threshold.

The DBN and NIC emerged as the top institutions with 100 per cent in this category.

Thirty-one states did well in this category, scoring 60 per cent and above. Only Delta, Imo, Niger, and Zamfara scored 40 per cent. Ebonyi scored 0 per cent.

Major gaps

Speaking on the overall performance, Mr Umar said there are gaps and disparities between the states.

“A lot needs to be done in the states. The key takeaways are that compliance is concentrated. It’s not really well spread. Ministries need to do a lot better.

“A lot is being done under citizen engagement and control of corruption, but you need to do more under financials and open procurement.”

Mr Arabi also said, from previous reports, it was obvious that many public institutions “are becoming increasingly proactive in disclosing information contributing to stronger governance systems and improved accountability across the public sector.”

In the 2025 TII report, none of the institutions scored 80 per cent in the overall ranking; however, this year’s performance shows improvement.