The Nigerian government introduced a Whistleblowing policy last year, however not much was heard of the programme until recent announcement of billions of Naira and millions of dollars being recovered as a result of tips from whistleblowers.
Citizens have requested to know more about the policy and the government has obliged. Here we will share what we know about the whistleblowing policy, including phone number, email, and website for sending your tip.
The Elephant in the room
Everybody agrees that corruption is a problem in Nigeria. The problem has always been how to solve it and the commitment to do so.
Over the last couple of years Nigeria has moved from a government where stealing is not corruption and one that believes electronics and ICT should be at the centre stage of the fight to a government that believes we must use every tool at our disposal to fight corruption.
This is why it is not a surprise that this government is using whistleblowers as its latest arsenal in the fight against corruption.
The Nigerian government is effectively deputizing ordinary Nigerians to join the fight against corruption (especially financial crimes) through a whistleblowing policy that rewards whistleblowers with between 2.5% and 5% of fund recovered as a result of their tip.
Website for Whistleblowers to submit their tips
The Nigerian government has provided a website for whistleblowers to submit their tips. Whistleblowers can submit their tips at whistle.finance.gov.ng. At the site you can make a report against a ministry, department, or agency of the Nigerian government.
At the website, you will also have to state the name of the organization, the type of crime/malpractice committed, whether the crime is still ongoing, and your estimated value of the financial crime.
If you have some supporting document, the whistleblowers website gives you the option to upload such document. You also have option to enter your name, email, phone number, and other personal details, but these are all optional.
The site is fast and clean. My only critic of the site is the fact that it does not seem to have SSL encryption, which should be a given considering the privacy requirement of whistleblowers and the types of sensitive information that could be flowing through it. If my ordinary blog is already on SSL, I believe the Finance ministry is more than capable of upgrading the site to SSL ASAP.
Phone Number Whistleblowers can Call in their Tips
Whistleblowers in Nigeria can call 09098067946 to report mismanagement or misappropriation of funds or other violations by a ministry, agency, or department of the Nigerian government.
You can call the phone number provided between 10 am and 3 pm, Mondays to Fridays, except on public holidays.
Email for Questions about the Whistleblowing policy
For questions about the whistleblowing policy, the federal ministry of finance has provided a dedicated email address. Just send in your queries to [email protected].
Now you know how to send in your tip as a whistleblower, now let us look at the types of violations you can report
Types of Violations covered by the Whistleblowers Policy
- Violation of government financial regulations / procurement procedures
- Mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds and assets
- Financial Malpractice / Fraud / Theft of public assets
- Information on stolen or concealed public assets
- Manipulation of data or records
- Solicitation or collection of bribes
- Undocumented expenditure
- Splitting of contracts
- Conflicts of Interest
- Diversion/underreporting/concealment/non-remittance of government revenues
- Any other form of corruption involving government funds and assets
You can look at the form on the finance ministry website for a more extensive list of violations.
For more extensive information about the Whistleblowers policy, the Government of Nigeria has provided details on its channel on Medium. Click Here
