By Peace Udugba
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has expressed its readiness to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption policies by learning from China’s experience in combating corruption.
ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, made this known on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at the third edition of the International Diplomatic Dialogue held at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja.
The dialogue was themed, “Experience Sharing in Anti-Corruption Policies and Strategies: The Chinese Perspective.”
Aliyu said Nigeria would continue to draw lessons from global best practices and comparative experiences as it seeks to strengthen its anti-corruption policies and strategies.
He said there was significant value in studying the experiences of other countries, understanding proven approaches and identifying innovative strategies that could be adapted to Nigeria’s local realities.
“As Nigeria continues to deepen its anti-corruption efforts, there is much value in learning from comparative experiences, understanding best practices, and identifying innovative approaches that can be adapted to our local realities,” he said.
The ICPC chairman described corruption as a major threat to political, socio-economic and developmental progress, particularly in societies where it is allowed to thrive unchecked.
ICPC Studies China’s Anti-Corruption System
Aliyu said China had made significant progress in its fight against corruption through key institutions, including the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
He said the ICPC was interested in learning from China’s strategies and policies, including its institutional and legal reforms, as well as enforcement measures deployed in the fight against corruption.
The chairman recalled that the ICPC had previously hosted the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria and the Ambassador of Indonesia to Nigeria during the first and second editions of the International Diplomatic Dialogue.
According to him, those engagements provided opportunities to exchange knowledge and experiences on how different countries address corruption.
China’s Experience Offers Lessons for Nigeria
In his remarks, the Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Prof. Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, said China’s transformation from one of the world’s poorest nations into a major economic and technological power was driven partly by strong political will and sustained efforts to combat corruption.
Ibrahim said China had strengthened its anti-corruption system through unified investigations, a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and the use of technology to improve transparency and detect corrupt practices.
He also highlighted the relevance of Confucian values, including righteousness, propriety, wisdom, sincerity and integrity, in promoting ethical conduct.
The ACAN provost called for comparative learning between the anti-corruption systems of Nigeria and China to strengthen accountability and support sustainable national development.
China Advocates Prevention, Enforcement and Accountability
In his keynote address, the Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Counsellor Yang Juanxing, said China’s anti-corruption strategy goes beyond investigating and punishing individual offenders.
He said the approach combines enforcement with prevention, institutional reforms, oversight and education.
According to him, the objective is to build a system in which people are “unwilling to corrupt, unable to corrupt and afraid to corrupt.”
The Chinese diplomat also stressed the importance of accountability, saying no individual should consider himself above the law because of his position, power or personal connections.
He maintained that accountability must apply to everyone, irrespective of status.
Yang identified values, strong institutions and the rule of law as essential pillars of a sustainable anti-corruption framework.
He stressed the need to promote integrity, establish transparent procedures, strengthen oversight mechanisms and ensure that violations of the law attract appropriate consequences.
ICPC International Diplomatic Dialogue
The International Diplomatic Dialogue was organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the research and training arm of the ICPC.
The platform is designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences on anti-corruption policies and practices among different countries.
The latest edition focused on China’s experience and its possible relevance to Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency and the fight against corruption.
