BREAKING NEWS: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved

BREAKING NEWS: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a substantial increase in the Code of Conduct Bureau’s (CCB) budget, raising it from about N3 billion to nearly N20 billion.

The announcement was made by the CCB Chairman, Dr Abubakar Bello, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) today in Abuja.

That is significant news! Here are the key details about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's approval of a substantial budget increase for the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), as disclosed by the CCB Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Bello, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN):

💰 Major CCB Budget Increase Approved

  Increase Details: President Bola Tinubu approved a massive increase in the CCB's budget, raising it from approximately N3 billion to nearly N20 billion.

 Source: The announcement was made by the CCB Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Bello, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

🎯 Primary Goal: Overhaul and Modernization

The main purpose of the budget increase is to overhaul the nation's outdated asset declaration system, strengthen verification and enforcement, and make the bureau more effective and robust in its anti-corruption mandate.

Key Areas of Funding:

 * Technological Upgrades: Funding will be used for major technological upgrades.

 * Improved Working Environment: Enhancing the bureau's working conditions.

 * Strengthened Verification and Enforcement: Boosting the capacity for verifying declared assets and enforcing the Code of Conduct.

💻 Digital Transformation: AI-Driven Asset Declaration

The increased funding is primarily aimed at moving the CCB from its largely manual, paper-based operations to a fully digital system.

 * Current Challenge: The CCB Chairman noted that the previous budget only allocated about N70 million for printing forms, which could only produce forms for about 50,000 to 60,000 public servants out of over 4.5 million nationwide. This forced them to rely on scarce paper forms.

 * New Digital Platform: A fully online asset declaration platform is now being developed and is expected to be ready by the first quarter of 2026.

 * Global Access: The new system will allow public servants to declare their assets from anywhere in the world.

 * Instant Verification: The digital platform is described as a "game changer" because it will link directly with key national databases, including:

   * Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

   * Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)

   * Bank Verification Number (BVN) system

   * Land Registries

 * Artificial Intelligence (AI) Deployment: AI will be used to analyse asset declarations, compare a public servant's net worth at the beginning and end of their tenure, and flag unexplained wealth or potential breaches for further review.

⚠️ Enforcement and Verification

Dr. Bello confirmed that the bureau has already commenced the verification of assets belonging to high-profile officials, including ministers, permanent secretaries, and other senior officials.

 * He clarified that verification is not investigation, but warned that failure to declare assets or honour verification invitations could ultimately lead to:

   * Interim forfeiture orders

   * Investigation

   * Prosecution before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.