The Federal Government of Nigeria says it has recovered more than ₦800 billion through its whistleblowing policy introduced in 2016 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, disclosed this in Sokoto at a one-day nationwide sensitisation programme on the implementation of the whistleblowing policy.

Uzoka-Anite said the initiative was aimed at reviewing the progress of the whistleblowing framework, identifying gaps in its implementation, and developing a practical roadmap to strengthen its effectiveness.

While acknowledging operational challenges, the minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the policy as a critical tool in the fight against corruption.

She urged Nigerians to actively support efforts to expose corrupt practices and called on state governments, including Sokoto State, to domesticate and institutionalise the policy at the sub-national level.

In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Musa, described whistleblowers as guardians of public trust and accountability.

He stressed the need to strengthen legal and institutional safeguards for whistleblowers, noting that their role is vital to uncovering corruption and protecting public assets.

Also speaking, Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, represented by the State Commissioner of Finance, Muhammad Jabbi Shagari, reaffirmed his administration’s zero tolerance for embezzlement and misuse of public funds.

The governor said the state would continue to align with federal anti-corruption initiatives, highlighting his administration’s “Money or Work” policy as a mechanism to ensure accountability among public office holders and contractors.

Delivering a paper titled “The Benefits of Whistleblowing Policy in the Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria,” the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, observed that public participation in whistleblowing has declined in recent years.

Represented by Kamilu Ibrahim Gebi, Head of Public Affairs at the Sokoto Zonal Directorate of the commission, Olukoyede noted that although the policy initially enjoyed strong public support, enthusiasm has gradually waned, underscoring the need for review and realignment.

He also called on the National Assembly to fast-track legislation that would provide comprehensive legal protection for whistleblowers, describing such safeguards as essential to sustaining Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive.