The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have warned that persistent underfunding is weakening anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria.
The heads of both agencies raised concerns on Tuesday during their 2026 budget defence before the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes.
Musa Adamu Aliyu, chairman of the ICPC, said inadequate funding has forced prosecutors to fund court appearances from their personal resources, while several investigations have stalled due to the inability to pay for logistics and operational services.
Aliyu described funding as the commission’s major challenge, noting that prosecutors sometimes pay out of pocket to attend court sessions and that investigations have been delayed because service providers could not be engaged.
He disclosed that although N10.13 billion of the N10.62 billion appropriated for personnel costs in 2025 was released, only N2.2 billion of the N7.82 billion overhead allocation was disbursed, representing about 28 percent.
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According to him, capital releases were even lower, with only N449 million paid out of the N7.3 billion approved, adding that the funds were released late on November 28, 2025.
Despite the constraints, Aliyu said the commission recovered N33.1 billion in cash, $1.98 million and various assets.
He added that the ICPC filed 72 cases, secured 36 convictions, handled 453 ongoing cases and processed more than 1,100 petitions during the period under review.
ICPC Now Prioritises Cases Based On Available Resources
He noted that some cases take between two and five years to conclude, stressing that funding shortfalls affect travel, document retrieval, forensic tools and manpower, forcing the commission to prioritise cases based on available resources.
Aliyu also warned that poor funding has affected staff morale and security, revealing that one of the commission’s personnel was recently kidnapped and remains in captivity.
He urged the national assembly to improve funding and infrastructure for the agency, adding that some ICPC state offices still operate from rented buildings.
According to him, inadequate funding would hinder the fight against corruption and negatively affect Nigeria’s image internationally.
EFCC Boss Says many Contractors, including Licence Providers, Had not Been Paid
Similarly, Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the EFCC, told the committee that only 74 percent of the commission’s total appropriation for 2025 was released, while capital releases stood at about 50 percent.
Olukoyede said many contractors, including licence providers, had not been paid, warning that the situation could disrupt the commission’s operations, as such licences are essential to its work.
He disclosed that the EFCC proposed about N88 billion for 2026, including N22.8 billion for capital projects, but noted that outstanding obligations from 2025 could affect the execution of new projects.
The EFCC chairman also revealed that the commission owes about N3 billion in severance benefits to 32 retired officers.
Emmanuel Udende, chairman of the senate committee on anti-corruption and financial crimes, described the funding situation as unfortunate and pledged that the committee would work towards improving support for the agencies.
Udende said the committee would take steps to ensure that anti-corruption agencies are adequately resourced to effectively carry out their mandates.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
