ICPC Chairman Calls for Stronger Integrity Systems to Tackle Corruption, Deepen Public Trust

 

Keffi, Nasarawa State – 4 June 2026 — The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has called for collective action and stronger partnerships among stakeholders, saying anti-graft agencies alone cannot win the battle against systemic corruption.

Dr. Aliyu made the call on Wednesday while delivering his opening address at the International Conference on Anti-Corruption, Transparency and Integrity in Governance. The conference was organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, ACAN, the training arm of ICPC, in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Integrity Systems for Sustainable Development and Public Trust in Nigeria,” the ICPC Chairman described the gathering as timely and strategic. He said Nigeria urgently requires robust measures to address systemic corruption and promote ethical compliance across all sectors.

Represented by the Director of Special Services Department, Prince Hassan Mohammed, Dr. Aliyu said the absence of integrity and failure to adhere to ethical standards remain major contributors to many of the challenges confronting the nation.

“It is an acknowledged fact that lack of integrity and failure in ethical compliance is at the centre of most of the challenges our country is facing today,” he said.

The ICPC boss stressed that the anti-corruption fight requires the active participation of public institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations, professional bodies, faith-based organisations, the media, academia, and citizens.

He noted that the conference objectives align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The objectives include promoting scholarly and policy discussions on anti-corruption strategies, facilitating the exchange of experiences and best practices, generating innovative and evidence-based solutions, strengthening partnerships among stakeholders, and advancing practical recommendations for improved governance.

Dr. Aliyu expressed confidence that collaboration, innovation, and sustained commitment would help deepen public trust, strengthen integrity systems, and foster national development.

In his welcome address, the Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy, Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, decried the state of corrupt practices and its impact on Nigeria’s socio-economy. He said the conference was aimed at galvanising concerted effort, intellectual benchmarking, and policy recommendations to identify major barriers to transparency and integrity, and to determine how to break those barriers in this new era.

Professor Ibrahim urged participants to come up with clear and robust proposals and policy recommendations on how corruption can be mitigated and transparency and integrity can be promoted and sustained.

The Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, represented by the Commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, CP Usman Baba, rtd, declared the conference open and commended ICPC’s efforts in the fight against corruption.

In his goodwill message, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, emphasised that the fight against corruption must go beyond rhetoric and be driven by unwavering determination, discipline, and concrete action. He noted that the battle against corruption can only be won through systemic reforms and a collective commitment by all stakeholders to reject and confront corrupt practices at every level of society.

The conference brought together representatives of government institutions, development partners, academia, researchers, students, the private sector, the media, and anti-corruption advocates to deliberate on practical approaches to strengthening transparency, accountability, and integrity in governance.