The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has intensified its push to strengthen the National Anti-Corruption Strategy by engaging State Attorneys-General from Nigeria’s North-Central zone in a high-level roundtable aimed at fostering deeper subnational collaboration.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has intensified its push to strengthen the National Anti-Corruption Strategy by engaging State Attorneys-General from Nigeria’s North-Central zone in a high-level roundtable aimed at fostering deeper subnational collaboration.
Held at Noktel Resort, Ilorin, Kwara State, the strategic forum convened top legal officers from Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau states, alongside senior ICPC officials, representatives of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice, and other stakeholders committed to good governance.
With the theme “Strengthening Subnational Synergies for Corruption Prevention: Advancing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in Nigeria’s North-Central Region,” the one-day engagement was designed to chart a more coordinated path toward institutional integrity, transparency, and accountability at state and local levels.
Declaring the event open, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, described the initiative as “timely and essential,” adding that it “consolidates efforts in the war against corruption at both federal and state levels.”
In his welcome remarks, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, emphasized that the Commission was now prioritizing zonal structures to ensure its interventions are “context-specific and aligned with local realities.”
“Our preventive and enforcement strategies must reflect the peculiarities of each region if we are to succeed in building a corruption-free Nigeria,” Aliyu said.
Goodwill messages from the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Anti-Corruption, as well as the Chief Judge of Kwara State, underscored the need for closer collaboration between federal anti-graft institutions and state justice systems.
Delivering the keynote address, former Attorney-General of Sokoto State, Dr. Suleiman Usman, SAN, provided actionable insights on legal reforms and cross-tier institutional partnerships critical to effective corruption prevention.
Participants at the forum acknowledged the constitutional role of Attorneys-General in promoting transparency and upholding the rule of law. They noted that sustained synergy with ICPC would enhance investigations, prosecutions, and public confidence in governance.