Tinubu approves increase of CCB budget from N3bn to N20bn

President Bola Tinubu has approved a significant increase in the budgetary allocation to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), raising it from N3 billion to N20 billion.

The Chairman of the bureau, Mr. Abdullahi Bello, explained that the increase was aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s outdated asset declaration system as well as strengthening verification and enforcement mechanisms to make the bureau more effective.

According to him, the enhanced funding would support major technological upgrades, improve the bureau’s working environment, strengthen verification processes and boost its overall enforcement capacity.

Bello recalled that upon assuming office, he discovered that the asset declaration process was still largely manual, relying on paper forms which were scarce, costly to produce and difficult to store, analyse and verify.

He said that in response, the bureau adopted an interim solution inspired by Kenya by uploading asset declaration forms on its website for public servants to download and complete. However, he noted that while this approach addressed the issue of accessibility, it failed to resolve the fundamental problem of a manual system.

The CCB chairman disclosed that the bureau is now at an advanced stage of developing a fully digital, online asset declaration platform after extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders.

He stated that the platform, which is expected to be ready by the first quarter of 2026, would enable public servants to declare their assets from anywhere in the world.

Describing the initiative as a “game changer,” Bello said the digital system would be directly linked to key databases, including those of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Bank Verification Number (BVN) system, land registries and other government records to allow for instant verification.

He added that artificial intelligence would also be deployed to analyse asset declarations and compare the net worth of public officers at the beginning and end of their tenure to enhance transparency and accountability in public service.