By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Executive Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello has praised the unveiling of the Local Governance Accountability (LGA) Portal as a Veritable tool in promoting transparency and accountability in the Country.
He stated this in his goodwill message at the closing ceremony of the Policy Writing Fellowship
and the Unveiling of the LGA Portal thursday in Abuja.
The CCB Chairman noted that the LGA Portal, which provides free access to financial allocations to local councils from 1999 to date, together with council profiles and the names of elected officials, is a powerful instrument for promoting transparency and accountability at the grassroots level.
Dr Bello said the Code of Conduct Bureau firmly believes that sustainable national development and the fight against corruption must begin with strong, accountable local governance.
He said the portal will empower citizens, researchers, journalists, and civic actors to monitor public resources and demand better service delivery — directly supporting our collective efforts to entrench integrity and ethical conduct in public service.
He congratulated the more than twenty fellows who have successfully completed the intensive four-month training programme.
“Your dedication, intellectual rigour, and the policy papers you have produced under the guidance of your supervisors are truly commendable”.
“You represent the kind of thoughtful, evidence-driven leadership Nigeria needs as we work to build stronger institutions and improve the lives of our citizens”.
He commended Agora Policy, with the generous support of the MacArthur Foundation, for this visionary initiative, stressing that their
commitment to strengthening an evidence-driven, inclusive, and robust approach to policymaking and policy engagement is both timely and impactful.
He said as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen integrity and accountability in public service, the Code of Conduct Bureau has completed verification of asset declarations for high-risk public servants.
According to him, the exercise covered 19 Ministers, 37 Permanent Secretaries, 20 Heads of Agencies, and 32 other high-risk officials.
He also announced that the Bureau’s Online Asset and Liabilities Declaration System is now 100% developed and ready for deployment and testing, adding that the platform will hold the asset declaration database of all public servants in Nigeria.
He called for partnerships that will enhance responsible public access to relevant governance data without compromising the privacy and security of declarants.
“As part of our enforcement drive, the Bureau has also secured the forfeiture of several assets, including a property in London”.
We have referred numerous cases to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, and just yesterday we arraigned the Chief of Staff to a State Governor before the Tribunal.
“These actions demonstrate our firm resolve to hold public officers accountable regardless of their position or status”.
He urged the graduating fellows to carry forward the spirit of inquiry, integrity, and public service in all their future endeavours, stressing that the knowledge, skills, and networks they have gained should be deployed to address the nation’s challenges and to strengthen governance at every level.
He expressed appreciation to the organisers for the kind invitation and the excellent work in advancing Nigeria’s policy landscape.
He noted that the Code of Conduct Bureau remains open to productive partnerships in the pursuit of good governance, transparency, and accountability.
Meanwhile, Agora Policy on Thursday, 25 June 2026 graduated the second set of its Policy Writing Fellowship and launch the Local Governance Accountability (LGA) portal and the Policy Registry, two digital platforms designed to enhance transparency, accountability and the quality of policymaking and policy conversation in Nigeria.
The fellowship and the portals are part of the series of activities under Policy Support, Deepening and Engagement (PSDE) project, an initiative of Agora Policy implemented to strengthen evidence-driven and participatory approaches to policymaking and governance in the country and supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
In its second year, the Policy Writing Fellowship is Agora Policy’s flagship intervention introduced to enhance the capacity of competitively-selected mid-career professionals to conceive, research and write compelling and impactful policy papers.
The graduating fellows have completed an intensive, four-month training that culminated in individual policy papers produced under the direction of their assigned supervisors. The policy papers by the graduating fellows cover a diverse set of topics, ranging from artificial intelligence, disease-containment strategies, air quality, food security, to job creation, gender equity, and industrial policy.
