By Mahdi Waziri Isa
The Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) has achieved a historic feat by ranking 4th out of 514 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the 2024 Nigeria Integrity and Transparency Index. This impressive ranking marks NIALS’ first time in the top 4 in its 45 years of existence.
The top performers in the index are the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) with a score of 77.92%, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) with 71.53%, and the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) with 60.17%, which were ranked First, Second and Third respectively. NIALS scored 44.93% to clinch the Fourth position.
According to the report presented yesterday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, NIALS’ impressive ranking is attributed to the exceptional leadership of Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, who served as Director General from 2019 to 2024.
Established in 1979, NIALS is a premier institution for advanced legal research and studies in Nigeria. Its core objectives include strengthening the skills of judges and prosecutors on key anti-corruption laws and supporting states in drafting court rules and practice directions aligned with the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws. The institute plays a crucial role in promoting legal excellence and integrity in Nigeria.
The study, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI), aims to promote transparency and accountability across public institutions. Notably, NOSDRA and NIPC outperformed Nigeria’s leading anti-corruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which ranked 19th and 337th, respectively.
NIALS’ achievement demonstrates its commitment to excellence and integrity, setting a high standard for other institutions to follow. This recognition solidifies NIALS’ position as a leading institution in Nigeria’s legal landscape.
With this unprecedented feat, NIALS must build on the momentum to propel the Institute to even greater heights, especially with the strong foundation laid by Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, the current leadership can now focus on strategic initiatives that enhance research quality, expand capacity-building programs, and foster collaborative partnerships. By doing so, NIALS can potentially surpass its current ranking and become a model for excellence in Africa’s legal education landscape.
According to the SGF”s report, Next to NIALS in the ranking was Bank of Industry (BOI), which scored 39.43 percent to clinch the Fifth position, while the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) secured the 6th position with a score of 37.98 percent.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) secured 7th and 8th positions with scores of 37.24 percent and 34.64 percent respectively. While the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) scored 32.79 percent and 32.00 to emerge 9th and 10th respectively.
Further analysis revealed that a total of 151 institutions representing 195 of the total institutions assessed, scored between 8.00 and 0.31 percent which includes Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Auchi Polytechnic, Edo, Gurara Dam Management Agency, Ministry of Petroleum, National Defence College, National Hospital, National Industrial Court, National Mathematical Centre, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria, Office of the Head of the Civil Service, Federal Medical Centre and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, among others.
Meanwhile, 26 institutions did not conform to the variables used in assessing the institutions, some of which are Ministry of Mines and Power, FCE Okene, National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), Federal College of Forestry and Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna, Nigerian Coal Corporation, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and Office of the Secretary General of the Federation, among others.
In general, the report revealed a downward slide from the improvement in the performance of institutions in 2024 compared to 2023.
Speaking at the presentation, the Executive Director of CeFTPI, Dr Umar Yakubu explained that the TII is geared towards assessing the openness and transparency of public institutions by evaluating the publication of vital information relating to good governance that is statutorily supposed to be within the public domain on the website and portals of public institutions.
“Public institutions are statutorily mandated to publicize diverse classes of information regarding their activities, in line with the applicable legal framework guiding their operations
“The project aims to evaluate the publication of information that is supposed to be within the public domain. This involves information on budgeting, audit, procurement, recruitment and utilization of tools that aid the engagement of citizens.
“This initiative will assess the compliance of public institutions with national laws, policies and guidelines and other international agreements to which Nigeria has made commitments”, Dr Yakubu highlighted.
Source: Education Monitor
