The House of Representatives is seeking a bill to impose a seven-year jail term or a fine of N5 million on anyone guilty of giving or receiving bribes in workplaces across the country.

Sponsored by Paul Nnamchi (Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency) and three others, the bill aims to curb bribery in both public and private workplaces.

‘A Bill for an Act to Provide Effective Deterrence and Consequences for Bribery in Workplaces,’, the bill will be debated when the House resumes on June 17, 2025.

It proposes tough penalties for bribery offences in government agencies, corporations, nongovernmental Organisations, and other professional settings.

Under the law, anyone who offers or gives a bribe “in cash, gifts, favours, or other benefits” to influence an official action will be liable, upon conviction, to a fine of not less than N5m or three times the value of the bribe, whichever is higher, and/or imprisonment for at least seven years.

The bill also proposes a stiffer penalty of a 10-year jail term and the same financial sanctions for anyone who solicits or receives a bribe.

In the case of public officials, it recommends dismissal from public service and a 15-year ban from holding elective or appointive office if convicted of bribery.

For corporate organisations, the bill proposes that those guilty of bribery will face a fine of not less than N100m, while their directors or responsible officers will be prosecuted and, if convicted, face a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment.

Furthermore, companies convicted of workplace bribery may also lose their operating licences and face a 10-year ban from public procurement contracts.