What We Do

IAP, the Good Governance Group

Independent Advocacy Project (IAP) works to promote open and transparent governments – at the federal, state and local government levels - where individuals and groups have the opportunity to contribute to the decision making process, thereby contributing to efforts aimed at eliminating or reducing corruption and opaqueness. IAP actualises its mission through research into issues germane to good governance in Nigeria, publication and dissemination of governance-related information and employing the findings of such studies as advocacy tools, working with and through partners to strengthen the capacity of individuals and organisations whose activities impact on good governance. IAP holds its Annual Governance Lecture series on 9 December to mark the international anti corruption day as declared by the United Nations in 2003. This seminal lecture is delivered by a governance expert and will be published and widely distributed.

IAP does parliamentary lobby and conducts relevant studies and surveys, including devising useful tools which are then fed into its campaigns and advocacy programmes. IAP is particularly focused on anti corruption surveys, anti-corruption education and governance research and advocacy. IAP also conducts other activities that promote democratic development and the rule of law, and these include - but are not limited to activities that:

Promote accountability and transparency in government

Promote integrity in public institutions and offices

Promote respect for the Rule of Law

Build the capacity of civil society organisations and other establishments to enable them participate meaningfully in the governance process

Assist in the strengthening of democratic institutions

Promote freedom of speech and of expression

Enliven the debate on free access to information

Current Activities

Nigeria Corruption Index (NCI): The highly successful Nigeria Corruption Index was published in 2005 and 2007 with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy. NCI sought to empirically determine the degree of corruption in Nigeria and emphasize its adverse effects on democracy, development and good governance in the country. NCI 2005 and 2007 collated and analysed the responses of ordinary Nigerians on their daily encounter with corruption – for instance who they bribe, how much, and for what. In 2005, the Nigerian Police topped the league table of the most corrupt organizations with incidences of reported bribery standing at 96 per cent. Next was the Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria (formerly National Electric Power Authority, NEPA), and the Customs and Excise Department which posted 83 and 65 per cents respectively. Other corruption-ridden organizations included the Ministry of Education, while at the Immigration and Passport Office, survey respondents reported incidence rate of 63 and 56 per cents respectively. NCI 2007 also came up with a league table involving various public sector institutions in the country – the police, judiciary, education, health, public institutions providing service such as those of telecommunications, electricity, etc.

Published shortly after the elections, NCI 2007 identified the Nigerian Police Force as the most corrupt institution in the country, followed by Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Education Ministry (particularly higher institutions and examination bodies) and the Customs and Excise Department. The Health Ministry, Justice Ministry, Nigeria Airports Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Railway Corporation and Agricultural Development Authorities are said to be the institutions least likely to collect bribe. The findings of the survey is currently being used by IAP to conduct anti corruption education and implement other advocacy initiatives.

Judiciary Watch Project: The Judiciary Watch Project aims at promoting transparency and accountability in the Nigerian judiciary, thus enhancing the capacity of court and legal officers to carry out their duties impartially and effectively. The judiciary, which ordinarily should be the last hope of ordinary Nigerians, continue to face a gamut of challenges, including allegations of bribery, partiality and corruption. Hence, this grassroots-based initiative has been designed to carefully examine these and other issues, devise a tool to proactively educate the citizens about the workings of the judiciary, especially at the Magistrate level, thereby empowering them to ask critical questions and actively monitor its performances. Being the closest to the ordinary citizens, the Judiciary Watch initiative is focusing on the Magistrate Courts. Hence, two magistrate divisions each in Lagos, Kano and Rivers States respectively as well as two corresponding communities in each area will participate in the project.

Political Corruption Programme: In the run up to the 2007 elections, IAP focussed on the issue of political party financing, the independence of oversight bodies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) under IAP's programme on political corruption.

Publications: IAP’s flagship publications are Governance News, a monthly electronic publication of news on good governance in Nigeria and Governance Today, an in-depth journal of democracy and governance, featuring contributions from intellectuals, partners, staff and associates of IAP.

Advocacy, Lobby & Campaigns: IAP is particularly involved in awareness raising – using the new and traditional media and the alternative media such as drama sketches (especially in educational institutions) aimed at promoting democracy and good governance. The organisation issues press statements and posts relevant news from other news sources on its website. Besides, the organisation also conducts lobby activities at the National Assembly in Abuja and the Lagos State House of Assembly to advocate for specific legal reforms, including campaigning for the Freedom of Information Bill. IAP collaborates and networks not only with governance groups but with a wide range of NGOs, including human rights groups on a wide range of projects. The organisation belongs to a number of coalitions, including the Zero Corruption Coalition and the Freedom of Information Coalition.

Anti Corruption Day Lecture: IAP holds its Annual Governance Lecture series on 9 December on the occasion of the international anti corruption day which was declared by the United Nations in 2003 as World Anti Corruption Day. A seminal lecture is usually delivered by a governance expert. The lecture is usually published and widely disseminated.

NCI: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is NCI?

The Nigerian Corruption Index is a survey that captures corruption as experienced by ordinary Nigerians in their interaction with officials of government establishments. Survey respondents provided information on organisations where they have encountered bribery, where they paid bribes, how much and for what. NCI evaluates the average Nigerian’s daily encounters with corruption in terms of frequency, severity, size, financial and social costs.

Why did IAP conduct this survey?

IAP research revealed that the process of addressing the problem of corruption as an impediment to the growth of democracy requires concrete information on the nature and incidence of corruption. Current anti-corruption efforts tend to be informed primarily by perceptions and anecdotal evidence. While there is a convergence of opinion that corruption is a major problem in Nigeria, there is little agreement on its nature and scope and on what to do to tackle it in a sustained manner. NCI is designed to fill this gap and meet the information needs of journalists, researchers, policy makers and others by providing solid and objective baseline information. The information will enable analysts to monitor progress in the governance environment and in the effectiveness of strategies to combat and prevent corruption.

For the purpose of IAP how is corruption defined?

Corruption is defined as the abuse of public trust for private gain. An example is bribery of public officials to enjoy services Nigerians should ordinarily be entitled to without having to offer gratifications.

Is NCI similar to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI)?

NCI and CPI are two different surveys conducted by two different organisations. CPI ranks countries in terms of perceived levels of corruption while NCI provides hard data on actual – as opposed to perceptions – incidences of corruption. NCI presents a ‘league table’ of government establishments (including the Nigerian Police, Customs and Excise, Nigeria Railway Corporation, etc.) in terms of their level of corruption as experienced by Nigerians.

Why are private sector institutions not included in the survey?

IAP recognises that corruption is not limited to public institutions. Indeed the private sector – including multinational corporations – is widely believed to be corrupt, but for the purposes of this survey, only public institutions were considered.

What methodology did IAP employ in conducting the survey?

A two-stage research methodology featuring qualitative and quantitative phases was employed. The quantitative phase entails measurements and ratings of ordinary Nigerians’ daily encounters with corruption, while the qualitative stage provided an insight into Nigerians’ perception or definition of the term ‘corruption’ via the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) technique. The focus groups consisted of between seven and eight people recruited along similar demographic and social indices in order to eliminate bias or hindrances to free flow of discussions. A total of six FGDs were held in Lagos and Abuja, with an experienced moderator regulating the flow of discussions, using a Moderator’s Guide. For the quantitative segment, the multi-stage random sampling procedure was used, ensuring that every member of the target group had an equal chance of being included in the sample. Questionnaires were administered in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano.

What are the follow up activities planned by IAP?

IAP presented the survey to various stakeholders, including key legislative committees and made presentations to government on reforms that are expected to strengthen the nation’s anti corruption legal and administrative framework, based on the findings. IAP also worked to lobby parliament by presenting specific policy discussion papers to appropriate parliamentary committees, using NCI as lobby tool. This is in addition to networking with national and international partners, on the basis of the NCI’s findings, for joint lobby and advocacy anti corruption activities.

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