The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), has called for stronger collaboration among governments, anti-corruption agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector, the media and citizens to strengthen integrity and scale up anti-corruption efforts across Africa.
Aliyu made the call on Sunday in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at the commemoration of the African Union Anti-Corruption Day, held at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre. The event was themed, "Scaling Up the Promotion of Integrity and Anti-Corruption Actions Across Africa."
According to the ICPC chairman, the theme reflects Africa's shared commitment to building societies founded on integrity, transparency, accountability and the rule of law as essential pillars for sustainable development, democratic governance and economic prosperity.
He cited findings from the 2025 Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre (CAACC) study, which revealed that 80 per cent of respondents across 14 African countries believe corruption occurs "always" or "often," while identifying lack of integrity as one of the major drivers of corruption.
"These findings remind us that promoting integrity is not merely aspirational; it is an evidence-based imperative," Aliyu said.
The ICPC boss said the Commission continues to pursue its mandate through corruption prevention, enforcement and public enlightenment while working closely with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders to strengthen institutional integrity and eliminate opportunities for corrupt practices.
He also highlighted the Commission's efforts to promote integrity among young Nigerians through initiatives such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Anti-Corruption Lectures, Integrity Clubs in secondary schools, and partnerships with the Nigerian Law School and universities to integrate anti-corruption education into legal training.
Aliyu noted that these initiatives are consistent with the CAACC report, which identified public awareness campaigns and school-based anti-corruption clubs as some of the most effective tools for preventing corruption.
In a keynote address, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), represented by the Director of the Solicitors Department in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Gladys Odegbaro, described corruption as a major obstacle to national development.
He said corruption deprives governments of resources needed for infrastructure, healthcare, education, food security and social protection while weakening democratic institutions, fueling insecurity and eroding public trust.
"The antidote to corruption is integrity. Integrity is the foundation of good governance and the cornerstone of public confidence in governance," he said.
Fagbemi added that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, remains committed to strengthening public institutions, improving transparency and accountability, enhancing inter-agency collaboration, modernising the criminal justice system and deploying technology to reduce opportunities for corruption in public service delivery.
Earlier, the Head of the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Mrs. Jane Onwumere, said the annual commemoration provides an opportunity for stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to promoting integrity and implementing effective anti-corruption reforms across Africa.
She stressed that promoting integrity is a shared responsibility that extends beyond governments and anti-corruption agencies to all sectors of society through strong institutions and effective accountability mechanisms.
The event featured goodwill messages from representatives of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and other organisations.
Highlights of the programme included a panel discussion on the theme of the event and a presentation titled, "The Whistleblower and Witness Protection Bill: Where Are We?" delivered by the Executive Director of the African Parliamentarians Against Corruption (APNAC), Mr. Ashley Emenike.(Lead FM Nigeria.com)
