In a significant move to bolster the anti-corruption landscape, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has formalised a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association Anti-Corruption Committee (NBA-ACC).
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today at the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja, marking a pivotal moment in the collaborative effort to combat corruption and enforce the highest ethical standards within Nigeria’s legal profession.
The ceremony, which also featured the signing of a second MoU between the NBA-ACC and the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the research and training arm of the ICPC, was for the enhancement of institutional and human capacities.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, emphasised that the partnership was a substantive and deliberate response to the urgent need for collective action; further stating that corruption prospers where institutions work in isolation, asserting that “integrity flourishes where partnerships are forged.”
Dr. Aliyu described the MoU as a strategic alliance rooted in shared values: the supremacy of the rule of law, professional ethics, accountability, and service to the Nigerian public, which also establishes a framework for harmonising enforcement with preventative measures, capacity building, public enlightenment, and ethical re-orientation to achieve tangible, sustainable outcomes.
The ICPC boss highlighted the natural synergy between the NBA, as the guardian of legal professionalism, and the ICPC, as a statutory anti-corruption agency. Their combined efforts, he further explained, are essential for strengthening the justice system and restoring public trust in governance.
Dr. Aliyu further underscored the critical role of ACAN in this endeavour, describing education, research, and skills development as foundational to long-term success.
This tripartite cooperation, he noted, will help cultivate a new generation of legal practitioners for whom integrity is an unwavering professional obligation.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee, Professor Babafemi A. Badejo, described the signings as a decisive step in the collective resolve to build a Nigeria defined by robust institutions and professional integrity.
Professor Badejo explained that the MoU with the ICPC creates a robust framework for collaboration focused on promoting integrity within the legal profession, enhancing capacity, raising public awareness, and advocating for sound policy reforms.
Badejo added that “The accompanying agreement with ACAN would deepen this partnership by prioritising education, training, and research. This will be achieved through structured anti-corruption curricula, joint research initiatives, and specialised certificate programmes for lawyers and allied professionals.”
Both ICPC and the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee expressed strong confidence that this collaboration would yield substantial gains in promoting integrity, fortifying the rule of law, and advancing transparency and accountability within the legal profession and Nigeria’s broader governance framework.