By Eze Onyekpere
In 1999, when Nigeria returned to democratic governance after years of military rule, a public officer declaring their assets meant laboriously filling out multiple paper forms by hand, submitting them physically to a government office, and hoping they wouldn’t disappear into the labyrinthine filing systems of bureaucracy.
Twenty-six years later, that archaic process is finally being transformed. Recently in Awka, Anambra State, dozens of public servants, civil society representatives, and journalists gathered around computer screens in late March 2025, witnessing what many are calling a quiet revolution in Nigeria’s fight against corruption, the capacity-building workshop on the Online Assets Declaration System (OADS).
The workshop was part of activities to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework championed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in collaboration with the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). The two-day event, held on March 26-27, marks a critical step in transitioning from manual paper-based declaration to a digital platform designed to enhance transparency, accountability, and compliance among public officers.
Supported by the European Union and IDEA under the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme, the workshop brought together federal and state public servants, civil society organizations, and media representatives. It forms part of a broader initiative titled “Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-Corruption Processes and Reforms,” which aims to strengthen anti-corruption measures at both national and subnational levels.
The assets declaration requirement for public officers is not new—it’s enshrined in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, though the concept was initially conceived during earlier military rule. What is changing is how this mandatory disclosure is executed. The Constitution mandates that every public officer, “from the Cleaner in the Local Government to the President of the Federal Republic,” must declare their assets and liabilities upon taking office, every four years thereafter, and at the end of their term.
For elected officials including legislators, this declaration must occur before assuming office. The declarations must include all properties, assets, liabilities, and those of unmarried children under 18 years.
According to the Lead Director of CSJ, Eze Onyekpere, “If every public officer complies with the law, there will be not less than ten million declarations of assets and liabilities. Continuing with the old paper, analogue declaration of assets will involve massive logistics challenges ranging from storage space, processing, verification and follow-up activities. Hence the need and imperative of the OADS.”
In his opening address, CCB Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Bello Usman characterized the shift to digital declaration as “not just an upgrade but a revolution.”
“Manual systems are susceptible to inefficiency, opacity and abuse. By leveraging technology, we eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, reduce human interference and create an acceptable trail that deters malfeasance. This system will empower public officials to declare assets seamlessly while enabling real-time monitoring by stakeholders,” he said.
The OADS promises numerous benefits beyond mere technological advancement. According to workshop materials, these include ease of compliance for declarants, improved quality control and verification, enhanced interagency collaboration, reduced operational costs, and greater transparency in the entire process.
The CSJ-CCB manual, distributed at the workshop, provides clarity on what precisely constitutes assets and liabilities—a critical area where misunderstanding or deliberate omission can undermine the entire declaration process.
Assets are categorized comprehensively to include cash and bank balances, real estate, vehicles and machines, furniture and household items, securities and investments, precious metals, intellectual property, and receivables. On the liability side, the manual specifies personal loans, mortgages, staff loans, and other financial obligations.
This detailed categorization aims to eliminate any ambiguity that might lead to incomplete declarations. As the manual emphasizes, the process is not merely bureaucratic but represents an “essential instrument of public accountability and integrity,” with honesty and transparency positioned as “non-negotiable principles in public service.”
The workshop aimed to address practical knowledge gaps that might hinder effective implementation. Participants received training on the constitutional and statutory provisions governing assets declaration, various categories of assets and liabilities, and step-by-step demonstrations of the online declaration procedure.
Participants expressed expectations that included gaining a “full and practical understanding of the assets and liabilities declaration regime” and being “equipped to facilitate the training of other officers in their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.”
While much of the workshop focused on the declaration process itself, materials also highlighted the enforcement mechanism embodied in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). This quasi-judicial body is empowered to impose sanctions on public officers found in breach of the Code of Conduct, with penalties ranging from removal from office to disqualification from holding future public positions.
The tribunal operates according to due process principles with established appeal mechanisms. However, as noted in the workshop communiqué, its effectiveness is hampered by structural limitations—notably that “only one panel of the Code of Conduct Tribunal serves the entire country.”
The workshop’s inclusion of civil society organizations and media representatives signifies recognition that anti-corruption efforts require engagement beyond government institutions. CSJ’s Lead Director, Eze Onyekpere referred to public officers as “the supply side” and civil society organizations and media as “the demand side” of the accountability equation.
This multi-stakeholder approach was reinforced by Dr Usman, who emphasised that “anti-corruption reforms are not the sole responsibility of government agencies. They demand a societal movement. When citizens actively demand accountability, and public servants lead by example, we create an ecosystem where corruption cannot thrive.”
The workshop is part of a systematic partnership targeting six focal states—Anambra, Edo, Lagos, Plateau, Adamawa, and Kano—as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
While the workshop focused on technological solutions, participants also acknowledged persistent institutional challenges facing the CCB. These include “poor funding and the fact that only one panel of the Code of Conduct Tribunal serves the entire country,” according to the communiqué issued after the event.The communiqué resolved that “civil society should intensify the engagement of the OADS,” including raising awareness, education, and “advocacy for reforms especially in the area of access to declared assets and liabilities, increased funding of the CCB and increasing the panels of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.”
The workshop also positioned Nigeria’s assets declaration system within its international obligations. As noted in the communiqué, “Nigeria is a State Party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.” These conventions mandate the declaration of assets and liabilities as part of anti-corruption measures.
Workshop materials framed asset declaration not merely as a legal requirement but as what the CSJ-CCB manual describes as a “central pillar in the architecture of integrity in public office.” This positions the OADS initiative within a broader ecosystem of good governance aligned with Nigeria’s constitutional principles.
The manual emphasizes the dangers of under-declaration, over-declaration, or concealment of assets. False declarations or omissions are treated not just as administrative oversights but as serious breaches of the Code of Conduct, carrying legal consequences through the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Following the workshop, participants resolved that public officers should “promptly and honestly declare their assets and liabilities in a timely manner in accordance with constitutional stipulates.” They committed to sensitizing colleagues within their MDAs and, resources permitting, organizing step-down training in collaboration with the CCB.
According to Eze Onyekpere, beyond capacity building, the initiative aims to “engage in public sensitization on the benefits that will accrue to Nigeria from the full rollout of the OADS” and “generate national dialogue on the entire assets and liabilities declaration system with a view to entrenching reforms.”
Undoubtedly, the OADS initiative is a promising convergence of constitutional mandate, technological innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. If successfully implemented, it could significantly enhance Nigeria’s anti-corruption infrastructure.