ICPC urges African Universities to raise integrity-driven graduates to tackle corruption

By Johnson Arua

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), has called on universities across Africa to produce graduates who uphold honesty, accountability and patriotism as a long-term strategy for combating corruption and accelerating the continent's development.

Aliyu made the call at the 2026 African Union Anti-Corruption Day celebration held at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja. The event, themed "Scaling Up the Promotion of Integrity and Anti-Corruption Actions Across Africa," brought together government officials, academics, anti-corruption agencies and civil society organisations to discuss practical measures for strengthening integrity across the continent.

Represented by the ICPC Director of Public Education, Mr. Demola Bakare, fsi, the ICPC chairman described this year's theme as timely, noting that corruption remains one of the greatest obstacles to Africa's socio-economic transformation, democratic governance, peace and sustainable development.

According to him, corruption weakens public institutions, diverts scarce resources meant for development, discourages investment, widens inequality and erodes public confidence in government. He stressed that defeating corruption requires more than law enforcement, insisting that Africa must build strong institutions, nurture ethical leadership and promote a culture of integrity among its citizens.

"As Africa pursues the aspirations of Agenda 2063, the promotion of integrity must become a shared responsibility involving governments, educational institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector, faith-based organisations, the media and citizens," he said. He urged participants to move beyond discussions to concrete actions that would strengthen institutions, safeguard public resources and build societies where corruption is rejected and integrity celebrated.

Declaring the event open, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Technology Innovation and Research, Professor Christine Ofulue, said corruption remains a major threat to Africa's stability and development. She noted that Nigeria's success or failure in tackling corruption would have significant implications for the continent because of the country's demographic and economic influence.

The Vice-Chancellor maintained that the fight against corruption should not be left to governments alone, stressing that educational institutions, professional bodies, the private sector, civil society organisations, religious institutions, the media and citizens all have important roles to play. She added that NOUN remains committed to producing graduates who are not only academically competent but also committed to honesty, accountability and public service.

Earlier, the Chairperson of NOUN's Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU), Mrs. Doris C-L. Nzenwa, described corruption as "the mother of all evils," blaming it for insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, economic backwardness, hunger and avoidable deaths. She said defeating corruption requires the collective commitment of all sectors of society.

The event also featured paper presentations and an anti-corruption debate between students of the NSCDC Study Centre and the Wuse II Study Centre on the topic, "Sanctions Are More Effective Than Education in the Eradication of Corruption in Society." Participants advanced arguments on the effectiveness of sanctions and ethical education, highlighting the importance of youth participation in promoting integrity and accountability.

In a vote of thanks, Mr. Muyiwa Harrison, representing the NOUN Registrar, Mr. Oladipupo Ajayi, appreciated the organisers, participants and guests for making the programme successful. The event ended with stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to stronger collaboration in promoting transparency, accountability and integrity across Africa.