This commentary piece, originally published by Sahara Reporters, features insights from Odeh Friday, Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, on the deeper challenges affecting institutional independence in Nigeria. The article argues that questions of accountability are not only constitutional, but also structural, requiring attention to how oversight institutions are designed, resourced, and protected in practice.

Drawing on Nigeria’s current context, the piece explores the gap that can emerge between formal mandates and real operational autonomy. It highlights how institutions established to provide oversight may be constrained by political pressure, limited capacity, patronage systems, and inconsistent enforcement, even where constitutional protections exist on paper.

The article also calls for a broader understanding of reform, one that moves beyond legal amendments alone to include transparent appointments, adequate funding, professional leadership, public trust, and meaningful civic participation. It suggests that sustainable independence depends on systems that enable institutions to act fairly, consistently, and in the public interest.

At a time when trust in public institutions remains central to democratic progress, the piece offers a timely reflection on what it takes to build credible, effective, and accountable systems of governance that can respond to citizens’ needs.

Read the rest of this article here.

Odeh Friday