Abuja: The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says Nigeria will only defeat corruption by raising an ethical generation. The ICPC emphasized that prevention through education is more critical than post-fact arrests.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu, highlighted this approach during a public lecture marking the 2026 Africa Anti-Corruption Day at the Yakubu Gowon University. The event had the theme, ‘Breaking The Cycle Of Entrenched Corruption Through The Upcoming Generation: A Strategic Mandate And The Critical Role Of Citizens’ and was organized by the African Initiative Against Corruption and Examination Malpractice (AFISEM), in collaboration with the university and supported by ICPC.
Aliyu, represented by Demola Bakare, Director of Public Education, stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of corruption rather than merely treating symptoms. He noted that young people, who constitute over half of Nigeria’s population, will shape the institutions they will lead tomorrow, emphasizing the need for values education.
The lecture highlighted various corrupt acts such as bribery, examination malpractice, and nepotism, which have weakened critical sectors like education and healthcare. Aliyu urged educational institutions to focus on character formation alongside academic excellence, stressing that integrity is essential for societal prosperity.
Aliyu also called on parents, religious leaders, and traditional rulers to model honesty and integrity, as children learn more from observation than instruction. He urged faith communities and traditional institutions to extend justice and accountability beyond their usual realms into public life.
The lecture also touched on the role of technology, with Aliyu urging the youth to use digital tools for transparency. He cautioned that innovation without integrity could lead to cybercrime.
Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, represented by Prof. Mohammed Ndagi, underscored the importance of building integrity in schools for national development. Fawehinmi pointed out that academic corruption is as destructive as financial and political corruption, and that institutions must produce graduates with both knowledge and character.
Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, expressed concern about corruption in the education sector, noting that academic credentials from Nigeria lack value due to prevalent malpractices. He called for rigorous recruitment and discipline of university staff to restore credibility.
Francis Abioye, President of AfiCEM, discussed the organization’s mission to propagate an anti-corruption culture across Nigerian schools. He highlighted the role of anti-corruption clubs and volunteers in instilling integrity and devaluing corrupt practices.
Justice Olamide Oloyede, a judge from Osun and a board member of AfiCEM, delivered the keynote lecture, appealing to the youth to combat corruption. She called for a recalibration of Nigeria’s national identity, urging students to fight against examination malpractice.
The event included goodwill messages from traditional leaders and concluded with award presentations to distinguished individuals for their contributions to the fight against corruption in Nigeria.