Strategic Approaches to Anti-Corruption: An Analysis of the Initiatives and Effectiveness of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Nigeria

Abstract

Corruption remains a persistent governance challenge in Nigeria, while the effectiveness of institutional responses continues to be undermined by structural constraints and informal practices. This study critically evaluates the strategies and performance of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in combating corruption. Anchored in institutional theory, it examines how formal regulations, organisational structures, enforcement practices, and informal norms interact to shape anti-corruption outcomes. The study adopted a qualitative research design involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with ICPC officials, policymakers, and civil society actors in Abuja. Interview evidence was complemented by documentary analysis of ICPC reports, policy documents, and relevant institutional records. The findings show that the ICPC has implemented preventive and enforcement strategies, including system audits, public-sensitisation campaigns, asset monitoring, and policy advisory functions, which have contributed to modest improvements in transparency and administrative accountability. However, limited operational autonomy, inadequate funding, political interference, weak interagency collaboration, and institutional-capacity gaps substantially constrain these initiatives. Compliance is driven primarily by coercive enforcement rather than internalised normative commitments, raising concerns about the sustainability of anti-corruption reforms. Patronage networks and elite influence further widen the gap between policy formulation and implementation, weakening consistent enforcement and reform outcomes. The study concludes that the ICPC has achieved incremental progress but remains insufficiently empowered to produce transformative institutional change. It contributes to anti-corruption scholarship by demonstrating that institutional capacity alone cannot ensure effective reform without political commitment and value-driven accountability. Strengthening the ICPC therefore requires legal safeguards for institutional independence, improved resource allocation, stronger interagency coordination, and sustained public engagement.