The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said Nigeria can only win the fight against corruption by raising a generation grounded in ethics and integrity, insisting that prevention through education is more effective than prosecuting offenders after the damage has been done.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), stated this on Thursday at a public lecture marking the 2026 Africa Anti-Corruption Day held at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
The lecture, themed “Breaking the Cycle of Entrenched Corruption Through the Upcoming Generation: A Strategic Mandate and the Critical Role of Citizens,” was organised by the African Initiative Against Corruption and Examination Malpractice (AfiCEM) in collaboration with Yakubu Gowon University, with the support of the ICPC.
Represented by the Commission’s Director of Public Enlightenment and Education, Mr. Demola Bakare, Aliyu said Nigeria could no longer afford to treat the symptoms of corruption while neglecting the factors that perpetuate it across generations.
“Fighting corruption should not simply mean arresting offenders after the damage is done. Our greater challenge is preventing it by raising citizens who reject corruption,” he said.
Aliyu noted that more than half of Nigeria’s population comprises young people whose values would determine the quality of future leadership and institutions.
He identified bribery, examination malpractice, contract inflation, nepotism and the diversion of public funds as practices that have weakened the country’s education, healthcare and infrastructure.
According to him, every act of corruption translates into fewer jobs, poorer public services and diminished opportunities for ordinary Nigerians.
He urged universities, polytechnics and secondary schools to place equal emphasis on character development and academic excellence through civic and ethics education.
“Educational institutions should produce responsible citizens. Success without integrity ultimately impoverishes society,” he said.
Aliyu also called on parents, religious leaders and traditional rulers to lead by example, stressing that children learn more from consistent conduct than mere instruction.
He urged faith-based organisations and traditional institutions to promote justice, accountability and integrity beyond places of worship and royal palaces into public life.
On technology, the ICPC chairman said Nigeria’s innovative youth should deploy digital tools to promote transparency and accountability, while warning that innovation without integrity could fuel cybercrime and fraud.
He further urged citizens to reject bribery, pay taxes honestly, protect public assets and hold leaders accountable.
“Nigeria’s greatest resource is not oil or gas. It is the character of our people, especially our youth. If we invest in them, we can finally break the cycle,” he added.
In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, described integrity in education as essential to national development and transformation.
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Mohammed Ndagi, Fawehinmi said academic corruption was as damaging as financial and political corruption.
“When standards are lowered, when examination malpractice and plagiarism are tolerated, and when admission and recruitment processes are compromised, the credibility of our institutions is weakened,” he said.
He warned that society ultimately suffers when universities produce graduates with qualifications but without character.
“Universities exist not only to produce graduates but also to mould the character of those who pass through them,” he said, adding that institutions should be judged by their ability to produce graduates who are worthy in both learning and character.
He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to promoting honesty, accountability, transparency, moral discipline and responsible leadership among staff and students.
“We believe integrity should not just be discussed in lecture halls; it must be reflected in the daily life of our institutions,” he added.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr. Sam Amadi, expressed concern over what he described as the declining credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
He lamented that certificates and degrees from Nigerian institutions were steadily losing value because merit and academic standards were being compromised.
Amadi urged universities to take a tougher stance against examination malpractice, sexual harassment, “sex-for-grades,” and other forms of corruption, while insisting that recruitment, promotion and disciplinary processes must be transparent and merit-driven.
He also called for reforms that would reward excellence and restore integrity to the country’s tertiary education system.
Earlier, the President of AfiCEM, Francis Abioye, said the organisation was committed to promoting an anti-corruption culture in schools across Nigeria through advocacy, anti-corruption clubs and volunteer programmes.
According to him, corruption and examination malpractice have continued to undermine integrity and devalue education, adding that AfiCEM was established to reverse the trend in collaboration with the ICPC and other stakeholders.
The keynote lecture was delivered by Justice Olamide Oloyede of the Osun State High Court and a member of AfiCEM’s board.
She urged young Nigerians to take responsibility for rescuing the country from the grip of corruption, noting that many corrupt practices among youths were encouraged by parents.
According to her, Nigeria must redefine its national values, while stressing that examination malpractice, like other forms of corruption, continues to damage the country’s international reputation.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Etsu of Kwali Chiefdom, Chief Ayedoo Nizassan, the Agoma of Zuba, Alhaji Mohammed Umar, and other dignitaries.
The event concluded with the presentation of awards to Dr. Sam Amadi, Justice Olamide Oloyede, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Abayomi Oladipo and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Fawehinmi, in recognition of their contributions to the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
