The Federal, State Governments and the various anti-corruption institutions should step up efforts to fight corruption that specifically target women, participants at a 2-day zoom conference said on Tuesday.

The participants drawn from across the country said given the location of women in the socio-economic spectrum, they are some of the most hit by the consequences of corruption. The conference listed sextortion (demanding for sex before public service) associated with many institutions in the country as one in a series of corruption practices of which women are direct victims.

The call was part of the resolution at the end of a Two-day Anti-Corruption Situation Room (ACSR) virtual summit focusing on the Reports of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and United Nations Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC) Second Survey on Corruption organised by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),

MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). The summit ended on Tuesday.

“In Nigeria, corruption remains a scourge. There have been renewed efforts to deal with the problem of corruption which is a common phenomenon in all aspects of human life in Nigeria. Corruption destroys the fabric of the society, diminishes the quality of governance, erodes the foundation of democracy and the rule of law, and eliminates the potential of institutions,” the participants stated.

The communiqué called on the Federal, state, local governments and other arms of government to prepare budgets that are inclusive of women and other vulnerable people. “To save women from the brazen impact of corruption, there should be institutionalized framework to empower greater women economic and social empowerment. This should be sustained through an independent institution or department to handle corruption relating to the exploitation of women,” the delegates stated.

The summit called for a gender-driven education focusing on women to increase their participation in the economic and political processes. This can be broadened through viable stakes and platforms for women advocacy.

It also called for greater and deeper collaboration between the media and the civil society instead of the tradition of transactional relationship. “Public and private media also have important roles to play in the anti-corruption campaign. This can only be enhanced through the transformation of public media from organs of individual state actors into public interest platforms.”

Participants noted that constructive engagements on corruption should be backed with relevant information and data. Public and private institutions should be forthcoming in releasing information as contained in the freedom of information law, for overall public interest. The communiqué commended HEDA for the effectiveness of its activities and the determined manner it has changed the landscape of the anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria.

As part of the strategic interventions, HEDA Resource Centre in collaboration with UNODC and international partners have been organizing series of training one of the latest being the 2-day Experts Training and Advocacy on Tracing and Recovery of Illicit Funds and Assets organized for NGOs, ACAs and Media across the country.

Participants numbering some 60 people were drawn from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Labour, faith-based groups, women-led groups, Prof Shehu Abdullahi, Chairperson of Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Hajia Saudatu Mahdi, Professor Adebusuyi Adeniran, Ambassador Peggy Chukwuemeka, Odomero Igbodo, Dr George Hill, Ferdinand Omoja, Head Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms, Ms Lilian Ekeanyawun, Mary Marire, Oliver Ajah Chima, Ozor Ugoma Kingsley amongst many other representatives of local and international partners. The Chairman of the conference was Prof. Shehu Abdullahi.