The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has announced plans to revolutionize Nigeria's public service accountability through the introduction of a digital asset and liability declaration system. This groundbreaking initiative aims to replace the outdated paper-based method that has been in use for decades.
Ending the Era of Paper Declarations
CCB Chairman Abdullahi Bello made the announcement during a validation workshop held in Abuja on Tuesday, November 26, 2025. He described the current paper-based system as largely ineffective, noting that declarations are "seldom analysed or used as tools against illicit enrichment."
Bello emphasized that the traditional approach has reduced asset declaration to a mere bureaucratic ritual. "For too long, asset declaration has been seen as a bureaucratic ritual—forms hurriedly filled and forgotten, rarely analysed and rarely used as the powerful anti-corruption tool it was meant to be," he stated. "This ends with the new ALDS."
How the Digital System Will Work
The new platform represents a significant technological leap forward. It will integrate with multiple national databases, including:
- Corporate Affairs Commission records
- Land registries across Nigeria
- Financial institution databases
This integration will enable real-time verification of public officers' assets and automatically detect undeclared companies, properties, and income streams. "By integrating with available databases, we will be able to discover assets in real time. You won't need to tell us every property or company you own. The system will show it," Bello explained.
Sustainable Funding Model
To ensure the system's long-term viability, the Bureau plans to introduce a graded service fee structure. Political office holders and senior public servants will pay fees commensurate with their positions, while junior staff or those unable to pay will receive waivers.
"We want an honest fee that is graded, with waivers for low-level public servants," Bello said. "We want to free ourselves from the burden of budget dependency."
This approach received support from Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions. He highlighted the agency's previous struggles to fund basic administrative processes, including printing paper declaration forms.
"I have always wondered why CCB wakes up in the morning and looks for funds all over the place to print forms so you and I can fill them out for free," Senator Imasuen remarked. "It's time we depart from this."
Strengthening Anti-Corruption Efforts
The digital system builds upon the work of the CCB's Forensic Accounting Unit, which currently analyzes asset declarations submitted by former public officers. The new platform will significantly enhance the Bureau's capacity to monitor compliance and enforce Nigeria's anti-corruption framework.
Bello confirmed that the digital platform will become fully operational after completing validation, review, and harmonization with stakeholders. He expressed confidence that Nigeria is finally on track to establishing a world-class asset declaration system.
"Will Nigeria finally have a world-class, corruption-resistant asset declaration system that serves both public servants and the Nigerian people? My answer, and I believe yours, is a resounding YES," Bello declared.
The initiative marks a crucial step in Nigeria's ongoing efforts to promote transparency and accountability in public office, addressing long-standing criticisms of the previous system's inefficiency and vulnerability to abuse.
