The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and State Commissioners of Information from the 36 states of the Federation have reaffirmed that the fight against corruption cannot be left to government institutions alone but must actively involve citizens through trust-building and strategic communication. This was the key outcome of a one-day roundtable engagement held yesterday in Abuja.
The renewed partnership marks a new phase in Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive, aimed at deepening transparency, accountability, and good governance at both state and local government levels.
Both parties pledged to strengthen collaboration to institutionalize anti-corruption compliance systems, foster transparency, and embed accountability within governance structures nationwide.
The engagement, themed “Partnership for Strengthening Transparency and Accountability at the State and Local Government Levels through Strategic Communication,” culminated in the issuance of a communique jointly signed by the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, and the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar.
Declaring the event open as Special Guest of Honour, the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, commended the initiative and underscored the critical importance of communication in the fight against corruption.
Other dignitaries in attendance included Distinguished Senator Emmanuel Udende, Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes; Hon. Prince Kayode Moshood Akiola, Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption; Prof. Usman Tar, Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Borno State; Dr. Mohammed Bulama, Director-General, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria; representatives of the Directors-General of the National Orientation Agency and Voice of Nigeria; as well as Mr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication.
In his welcome address, ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, emphasized the pivotal role of Commissioners of Information in shaping public discourse and mobilizing citizens to reject corruption. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu of Bayero University, Kano, who highlighted the transformative role of strategic communication in governance.
The communique acknowledged that corruption remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing challenges, particularly at the state and local government levels, where leakages have the most direct impact on grassroots development. It stressed that while access to information is critical, deliberate and consistent strategic communication remains the most effective tool to build trust, legitimacy, and collective action against corruption.
Participants resolved to:
- Sustain lasting collaboration and improve synergy between ICPC and State Commissioners of Information in carrying anti-corruption messages to states and local government councils through state-owned media.
- Implement deliberate and sustained communication strategies to build public trust, drive collective action, and embed anti-corruption messages in government information management systems.
- Sensitize and mobilize citizens to demand accountability, report corrupt practices, and actively participate in governance.
- Build the capacity of state and local government officials in strategic communication and transparency tools.
- Promote ethical reorientation in governance, schools, and communities to entrench integrity as a shared culture.
- Partner with the media and civil society to amplify anti-corruption efforts, provide independent assessments, and jointly organize advocacy campaigns targeting schools, MDAs, and grassroots communities.
- Translate ICPC’s information, education, and communication (IEC) materials into local languages for wider dissemination, and make public media platforms available for anti-corruption programmes.
- Establish dedicated communication platforms, including WhatsApp groups, to ensure constant engagement between ICPC and State Commissioners of Information.
The Roundtable concluded by reaffirming that the fight against corruption requires not only institutional mechanisms but also citizens’ active participation, trust, and sustained communication. The strategic partnership between ICPC and State Commissioners of Information thus represents a decisive step towards strengthening transparency, accountability, and good governance across Nigeria.