Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is looking to China’s experience in fighting corruption as it seeks to strengthen the country’s anti-graft policies and strategies.
The commission made this clear during the third edition of its International Diplomatic Dialogue, held at its Abuja headquarters and themed “Experience Sharing in Anti-Corruption Policies and Strategies: The Chinese Perspective.” The event was organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the ICPC’s research and training arm. The ICPC published its report on the engagement on September 1, 2026.
ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, said on September 1 that Nigeria could benefit from studying international experiences and adapting practices suited to its own realities.
“As Nigeria continues to deepen its anti-corruption efforts, there is much value in learning from comparative experiences, understanding best practices, and identifying innovative approaches that can be adapted to our local realities,” Aliyu said.
He identified China’s National Supervisory Commission and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection as key institutions from which Nigeria could draw lessons. Aliyu said the ICPC was particularly interested in China’s institutional and legal reforms, enforcement measures and policies for preventing and combating corruption.
Yang Juanxing, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre, said China’s approach extends beyond investigating and punishing individual offenders.
According to Yang, China combines enforcement with prevention, institutional reform, oversight and public education. He said the goal was to create a system where people are “unwilling to corrupt, unable to corrupt and afraid to corrupt.”
Yang also stressed that accountability should apply regardless of an individual’s position, influence or connections, while identifying values, strong institutions and the rule of law as pillars of sustainable anti-corruption efforts.
ACAN Provost Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim said China’s economic and technological transformation had been accompanied by sustained efforts to combat corruption. He highlighted unified investigations, zero tolerance and technology as important elements of China’s approach.
The dialogue is part of ACAN’s broader effort to facilitate international knowledge-sharing on anti-corruption practices. The ICPC said earlier editions featured Kenya and Indonesia, allowing Nigerian officials to examine approaches used in those countries.
The engagement does not mean Nigeria has formally adopted China’s anti-corruption system. Rather, it signals the ICPC’s interest in studying China’s experience and identifying practices that can be adapted to Nigeria’s legal and institutional environment.
