The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has called for stronger collaboration among governments, anti-corruption agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector, the media and citizens to scale up integrity and anti-corruption efforts across Africa.

Aliyu made the call in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at the commemoration of the African Union Anti-Corruption Day, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre with the theme: “Scaling Up the Promotion of Integrity and Anti-Corruption Actions Across Africa.”

The ICPC chairman said the theme reflects Africa’s collective resolve to build a continent where integrity, transparency, accountability and the rule of law serve as the foundation for sustainable development, democratic governance and economic growth.

He cited findings from the 2025 Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre (CAACC) study, which revealed that 80 per cent of respondents across 14 African countries believe corruption occurs always or often, while a lack of integrity remains one of the leading drivers of corruption.

“These findings remind us that promoting integrity is not merely aspirational; it is an evidence-based imperative,” Aliyu said.

He noted that the ICPC continues to implement its anti-corruption mandate through prevention, enforcement and public education, while working with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders to strengthen institutional integrity and close loopholes that enable corruption.

Aliyu also highlighted the Commission’s efforts to promote ethical values among young Nigerians through initiatives such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Anti-Corruption Lectures, Integrity Clubs in secondary schools, and partnerships with the Nigerian Law School and universities to integrate anti-corruption education into legal training.

According to him, these initiatives align with the CAACC study, which identified public education, awareness campaigns and school-based anti-corruption clubs as some of the most effective preventive measures against corruption.

In his keynote address, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by the Director of the Solicitors Department in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Gladys Odegbaro, described corruption as a major obstacle to development across Africa.

He said corruption deprives governments of resources needed for infrastructure, healthcare, education, food security and social protection, while weakening democratic institutions, fueling insecurity and eroding public trust.

“The antidote to corruption is integrity. Integrity is the foundation of good governance and the cornerstone of public confidence in governance,” he said.

Fagbemi added that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to strengthening public institutions, promoting transparency and accountability, improving inter-agency collaboration, modernising the criminal justice system and deploying technology to reduce opportunities for corruption in public service delivery.

Earlier, the Head of the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Mrs. Jane Onwumere, said the annual commemoration marks the adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and offers stakeholders an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to promoting integrity and accountability across the continent.

She stressed that promoting integrity is a shared responsibility that extends beyond governments and anti-corruption agencies to every sector of society through stronger institutions and effective accountability mechanisms.

The anti-graft agency in a statement on sunday saud the event featured goodwill messages from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and other stakeholders.

The programme also included a panel discussion on advancing integrity across Africa and a paper presentation titled “The Whistleblower and Witness Protection Bill: Where Are We?” delivered by the Executive Director of the African Parliamentarians Against Corruption (APNAC), Mr. Ashley Emenike.