The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to translate the findings of the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) into concrete changes in their operations, warning against allowing the report to become another unused document.
Akume said the Federal Government expects public institutions to integrate transparency and accountability into management decisions, budgeting, procurement, staff development and public engagement as part of efforts to strengthen citizens’ trust in government.
The SGF spoke on Monday while delivering the keynote address at the presentation of the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index at the Federal Ministry of Finance Auditorium in Abuja.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, Akume said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained committed to open, accountable and responsible governance, stressing that government policies, programmes and actions must be transparent, visible and understandable to Nigerians.
He described the Index as an important instrument for assessing accountability, openness and ethical standards across public institutions, saying it provides MDAs with benchmarks for identifying their strengths as well as shortcomings requiring urgent attention.
Akume consequently charged heads of MDAs to incorporate the Index’s findings and indicators into strategic planning, performance management, budget priorities, procurement processes, staff training, and digital disclosure.
‘The report should not sit on the shelf and should inform management decisions, budget priorities, procurement processes, staff training, digital disclosure, and how you communicate with the public’, the SGF said.
He stressed that transparency must be treated as an institutional asset rather than an administrative burden, adding that integrity should be embedded in the procedures and culture of government institutions through clear policies, proper record-keeping, effective oversight and ethical leadership.
Akume also called for consequences for wrongdoing, insisting that strengthening public confidence in government would require institutions to demonstrate accountability not only in policy declarations but also in their everyday operations.
The SGF particularly urged MDAs to leverage technology by ensuring that their websites and data portals provide accurate, timely and user-friendly information on their activities.
He said that current information on budgets, contracts and services should be readily available to citizens, enabling them to engage with government effectively and to track how public resources are being utilised.
Akume explained that the 2026 TII assesses public institutions across five areas – fiscal transparency, open procurement and contracting, human resources and inclusion, control of corruption, and citizens’ engagement.
He said the initiative complements ongoing public service reforms, anti-corruption measures and Nigeria’s commitments under the Open Government Partnership.
The SGF, however, stressed that the objective should extend beyond securing favourable institutional rankings, saying the ultimate goal was to build public institutions that Nigerians could understand, engage with and hold accountable while safeguarding public resources and improving service delivery.
‘The Federal Government remains fully committed to this goal. We will continue building institutions that are transparent, accountable, professional and responsive to the needs of the people,’ Akume said.
He commended the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) for sustaining the initiative.
Akume also called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations, professional bodies, development partners, and the media to strengthen transparency and accountability and ultimately ‘bring corruption to its knees.’