The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has urged State Commissioners of Information and media leaders nationwide to support the institutionalization of anti-corruption compliance systems at state and local government levels.
Dr. Aliyu gave the charge in Abuja on Wednesday at a One-Day Roundtable Engagement on “Setting for Strategic Integration of State Commissioners of Information in the Fight against Corruption.”
The event, themed “Partnership for Strengthening Transparency and Accountability at State and Local Government Levels Through Strategic Communication,” brought together Commissioners of Information from across Nigeria to deliberate on deepening anti-corruption communication and reforms.
Highlighting the critical importance of grassroots governance, Dr. Aliyu said:
“Transparency and accountability are democratic imperatives. I call on Honourable Commissioners of Information and media leaders here today to support institutionalizing anti-corruption compliance systems in states and councils, partner with ICPC in public engagement campaigns, and ensure that ethical re-orientation messages reach the grassroots.”
He emphasized that state and local governments remain the most crucial battlegrounds in the fight against corruption, as they are closest to the people and where the mismanagement of resources has the harshest impact.
The ICPC Chairman further underscored that “transparency builds trust between governments and citizens, while accountability sustains it,” adding that the Commission’s interventions—such as the Accountability and Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Governments (ACPP-LG), the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Initiative, and the National Ethics and Integrity Policy—are aligned with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS 2022–2026).
Dr. Aliyu also called on state and local governments to embrace proactive disclosures of budgets, procurement details, and projects, while engaging citizens through town halls and e-governance platforms. He assured participants of ICPC’s support in providing technical assistance, capacity building, and monitoring.
“The journey ahead is a marathon, not a sprint. By embedding anti-corruption compliance and ethical orientation into governance systems, we can build a Nigeria where integrity thrives, transparency is the norm, and accountability becomes a culture,” he concluded.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu of Bayero University, Kano, stressed that the fight against corruption is also a battle of narratives.
“The fight against corruption is not merely a question of law enforcement or rules. It is also a battle over perceptions, trust, and credibility,” he said, warning that secrecy and information hoarding only fuel corruption.
He maintained that communication should not be confined to “press releases or reactions to scandals” but must be a “deliberate, planned, and sustained process of engagement that fosters trust and reinforces integrity.”
Professor Adamu outlined awareness creation, legitimacy building, collective mobilization, and cultural transformation as key goals of strategic communication, insisting that societies must transition from celebrating ill-gotten wealth to valorizing honesty.
“Strategic communication must always rest on three pillars: truthfulness, consistency, and inclusivity,” he added, cautioning against weak partnerships and insincerity that could derail anti-corruption efforts.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris Malagi, commended ICPC’s grassroots-focused approach, describing it as innovative and impactful. He also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to empowering anti-corruption agencies and sustaining a policy of non-interference in their operations.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mr. Sunday Dare, lauded the Commission for cascading anti-corruption messages to the grassroots. He charged Commissioners of Information to ensure that the activities of their principals are not only communicated effectively but are also impactful.
ICPC Chairman Tasks State Commissioners on Embedding Anti-Corruption Compliance at Grassroots
