The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to implement the recommendations of the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) to improve accountability and restore public confidence in government.
Akume warned that the index must not become another government report that is produced and abandoned on shelves, stressing that its findings should guide decisions on budgeting, procurement, staff development and public engagement.
The SGF spoke on Monday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the presentation of the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index held at the Federal Ministry of Finance Auditorium.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, Akume said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained committed to promoting open, accountable and responsible governance.
He said government policies and programmes must be transparent, accessible and understandable to Nigerians.
Akume urges MDAs to implement index findingsAkume described the Transparency and Integrity Index as an important tool for measuring accountability, openness and ethical standards within public institutions.
He urged heads of MDAs to use the findings of the 2026 index in strategic planning, performance management, budget formulation, procurement, staff training and digital information 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,” Akume said.The SGF said transparency should be regarded as an institutional asset rather than an administrative burden.
He stressed the need for government agencies to embed integrity in their operations through clear policies, proper record-keeping, effective oversight and ethical leadership.SGF demands online disclosure of budgets, contracts.Akume also called on MDAs to make greater use of technology to improve access to government information.
He urged agencies to ensure their websites and data portals provide accurate, timely and user-friendly information about their activities.
According to him, information on budgets, contracts and government services should be readily available online to enable citizens to engage with public institutions and monitor the utilisation of public resources.
He added that accountability must go beyond policy statements, insisting that institutions must demonstrate transparency through their day-to-day operations.What the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index measures.
Akume said the 2026 TII evaluates public institutions across five key areas:
Fiscal transparency
Open procurement and contracting
Human resources and inclusion
Control of corruptionCitizens’ engagement
He said the initiative complements ongoing public service reforms, anti-corruption measures and Nigeria’s commitments under the Open Government Partnership.
The SGF stressed that the ultimate objective should not be merely to achieve favourable rankings but to build public institutions that Nigerians can understand, engage with and hold accountable.He said such reforms would also help protect public resources and improve 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,” he said.Akume commended the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) for sustaining the Transparency and Integrity Index initiative.He further called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations, professional bodies, development partners and the media to strengthen transparency and accountability in the public sector.
