Abuja: The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has partnered with Master Agent Show, a non-governmental organisation, to mobilise over 50,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) students against corruption. The Chairman of ICPC, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, announced this collaboration during the inauguration of the Basic Education Anti-corruption Debate (BEAD) in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, BEAD is an educational initiative aimed at instilling integrity, transparency, and accountability in young Nigerians through debates. Dr Aliyu, represented by Mr Okor Odey, Divisional Head of Education and Deputy Director of the Public Enlightenment and Education Department at ICPC, stated that the collaboration seeks to enhance the anti-corruption fight through basic education across the nation. The initiative targets 5,000 schools with 50,000 students participating in anti-corruption debates.
The Master Agent Show proposed the adaptation of ICPC’s existing anti-corruption debates for international institutions to be applied at the basic education level, specifically targeting JS1 to JS3 students. This approach allows for implementation across all 36 states of Nigeria simultaneously, leveraging school cooperation without needing a physical presence until the final stage.
Mr Osigbeme Enike, Managing Director of Master Agent Show, highlighted that the initiative aims to enhance civic engagement and develop students’ critical thinking and public speaking skills against corruption. He emphasized that BEAD is not merely a debate series but a transformative movement using education to dismantle entrenched corruption barriers. The programme will mobilise students from over 5,000 junior secondary schools across Nigeria to deliberate on themes such as ‘Citizens’ Character or Government Cabinet: Who Ends Corruption?’
Enike detailed that participating schools would submit videos of their students debating, which will be broadcast on platforms like the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria’s FM stations and BE.TV’s YouTube and Facebook channels. The programme, spanning from September 2025 to July 2026, is structured into four phases: School Engagement, Regional Selection, Nationwide Broadcast, and Awards, aiming to reach 10 million radio listeners and over one million digital viewers per episode.
Mr Domini Ogakwu, Chief Marketing Executive of BEAD, noted the initiative’s use of digital platforms to combat corruption, enabling public engagement in a moral crusade from home. He called for organisational sponsorship through media advocacy and purchasing media space and time, viewing it as an investment in youth development and the restoration of values in schools.