Governance & Public Sector

Whistleblower Policy (Federal Government, 2016)

Administrative policy (not a statute) — informants reporting financial crime entitled to 2.5%-5% of recoveries, with statutory backing pending.

Signed
2016-12-22
Status
Administrative policy

1 Background

The Whistleblower Policy is an administrative framework rather than a statute. Issued by the Ministry of Finance in December 2016, it provides for informants who report financial crimes against the federal government to receive 2.5%-5% of recovered funds. Several recoveries (Andrew Yakubu's $9.7M, Diezani's NLNG dividends) trace back to this policy. A statutory Whistleblower Bill has been pending in the National Assembly since 2017.

2 Key provisions (4)

01
2.5%-5% reward to informants whose tips lead to recovery
02
Online anonymous reporting portal
03
Confidentiality + anti-retaliation protections (administrative only — no statute)
04
Recovery threshold: usually ₦1M+

3 What changed in practice

Several high-value recoveries enabled (Yakubu, Diezani assets)
Statutory bill pending in National Assembly since 2017
Many states have replicated the model

4 Who it affects

WhistleblowersFederal MDAsEFCC

Other laws in Governance & Public Sector