Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has again emerged top in the 2023 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) released by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTIW).

The rating, which was done in collaboration with the Bureau for Public Sector Reform, with support from the MacArthur Foundation, assessed 511 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and public sector institutions on their level of transparency and accountability in government processes.

To retain its first position, DBN scored 73.26 per cent, moving up from the 58.74 per cent it scored in 2022.

Speaking at the public presentation, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Maurice Mbaeri, noted that “proactive disclosure of information, as enshrined in the Freedom of Information Act, seeks to enable public institutions to adopt a proactive stance in disclosing information to the public.”

He acknowledged that access to information reinforces good governance and enhances accountability.

Chairman, Board of Trustees, CeFTIW, Amb. Angela Nworgu, clarified that the centre introduced the Transparency and Integrity Index as a yearly assessment of public institutions’ compliance with national laws and international conventions that promote transparency, accountability and minimise corruption.

Managing Director/CEO of DBN, Dr. Tony Okpanachi, said the feat was a reflection of the company’s corporate governance, ethics and processes.