A recent report reveals that only six out of 517 federal government agencies assessed in the 2025 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) scored above average.
The remaining 511 agencies including key institutions like the Nigeria Police Force and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation performed dismally.
Some agencies even scored zero, highlighting glaring weaknesses in transparency and accountability across the federal government.
The annual index, published by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity in partnership with the Federal Government and the MacArthur Foundation, evaluates how well public institutions adhere to Nigeria’s laws, policies, and international commitments on accountability.
The 2025 report, released on Monday, assessed agencies across five main areas: financial transparency, open procurement, human resources, corruption control, and citizen engagement.
The evaluation framework drew from critical legislations including the Fiscal Responsibility Act (2007), the Freedom of Information Act (2011), the Public Procurement Act (2007), and Nigeria’s Open Government Partnership (OGP) Action Plan.
READ MORE: Despite ₦3.3tn Budget, Lagos Ranked Nigeria’s Worst State in Fiscal Transparency Again in 2025
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency emerged as the best performer, scoring 78.84%.
It was closely followed by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission with 78.21% and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission with 78.13%.
The Development Bank of Nigeria ranked fourth with 62.60%, while the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) scored 54.12%, and the Bank of Industry came sixth with 51.29%.These were the only institutions to cross the 50% threshold.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) ranked seventh but scored just 36.83%, illustrating the sharp drop-off beyond the top performers.
Agencies mandated to promote transparency fared some of the worst results.
The Nigeria Press Council managed only 14.50%, ranking 220th.
The Nigerian Copyright Commission and the Public Complaints Commission each scored 14.50%.
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, responsible for safeguarding public funds, recorded a shocking 7.30%, placing it 475th.
Security and economic agencies also scored poorly.
The Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and the Bureau of Public Enterprises all scored just 10.50%.
The National Orientation Agency managed 14.50%.
At the very bottom were the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and the Nigerian Coal Corporation, all scoring zero.
The report noted a decline compared to 2024, as nearly 99% of federal agencies fell into the “very poor” category, despite the highest score this year (78.84%) slightly exceeding 2024’s top score of 77.92%, and only three agencies crossing the 70% “excellent” benchmark.
The lack of transparency is reflected in multiple documented failures across federal agencies, such as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which has a dysfunctional online infrastructure that prevents citizens from performing even basic reporting tasks.
The sexual offenders register on its website is incomplete and the ‘report’ button does not work.
The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) had earlier reported that the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), despite allocating N2 million for dashboard updates, still shows only 2023 data, violating international EITI commitments that demand timely reporting.
Even state-level agencies have struggled with accountability, with the Lagos Secondary School Rehabilitation Committee, for instance, listing phone numbers on its website without assigning them to responsible personnel.
Under the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, key transparency portals like the Open Treasury Portal and budget performance documents have been largely non-functional during the past fiscal year.
Story credit : Foundation for Investigative Journalism
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