The Minister Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Nigeria, Igor Ivannikov, has emphasized that the fight against corruption must combine punishment for offences already committed with preventive measures to address the underlying causes of the crime. He made this statement at a diplomatic dialogue organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria in Abuja. Ivannikov highlighted Russia's comprehensive anti-corruption system, which combines law enforcement with preventive measures.
Ivannikov explained that Russia's anti-corruption framework is based on the understanding that criminal punishment alone does not eliminate the causes of corruption. Therefore, the legislation also focuses on preventing such conduct. He identified income and property declarations by public officials as one of the preventive measures adopted in Russia. This allows for comparison of an official's declared income with their property holdings, and in some cases, expenditure monitoring is also applied.
The Russian envoy also highlighted the prevention of conflicts of interest as another instrument in the fight against corruption. He stated that the law requires civil servants to report situations where their personal interests could affect the objective performance of their duties. Additionally, Ivannikov mentioned the anti-corruption review of existing regulatory laws to identify provisions that could create conditions for criminal conduct.
Ivannikov emphasized the importance of public procurement in the prevention of corruption. He noted that Russia has transferred significant parts of the process to an electronic platform, allowing for monitoring of different stages, from the publication of information about a tender to the conclusion and performance of a contract. This digitalisation reduces opportunities for concealing information and makes it easier to review the actions of contracting authorities.
However, Ivannikov cautioned that technology alone cannot eliminate corruption. He stressed that its effectiveness depends on the quality of oversight, the accessibility of information, and the accountability of officials for violations. On prosecution, he explained that Russia has a clear division of responsibilities among law enforcement agencies, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Federal Security Service responsible for detecting corruption-related crimes.
Ivannikov disclosed that Russia is ready to share its experience with Nigeria in financial investigations, tracing illicit funds, and recovering assets located abroad. He mentioned that Russia has developed a practical approach to international asset recovery through the Prosecutor General's Office. This approach covers the search, seizure, confiscation, and recovery of criminal proceeds located abroad.
The ICPC chairman, Musa Aliyu, SAN, expressed Nigeria's willingness to learn from Russia's experience in tackling corruption. He noted that Nigeria and Russia have maintained longstanding bilateral relations, with both countries signing agreements covering areas including air communication, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation, and trade. Aliyu emphasized that Nigeria's establishment of the ICPC and other anti-corruption institutions demonstrates the government's commitment to tackling corruption.
Key points
- Russia's anti-corruption framework combines punishment for offences with preventive measures.
- Preventive measures include income and property declarations by public officials.
- Technology alone cannot eliminate corruption, and its effectiveness depends on oversight and accountability.
