By Chimezie Godfrey
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, has raised fresh concerns over governance failures, abuse of processes and weak institutional controls fueling corruption across federal agencies and public institutions.
Aliyu sounded the warning in Abuja while addressing chief executive officers, governing boards and heads of federal parastatals during a high-level induction programme organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms.
Presenting a paper titled “The Role of the ICPC in the Prevention of Corrupt Practices in the Public Service,” the anti-corruption czar stressed that Nigeria cannot win the fight against corruption through prosecution alone.
According to him, prevention, ethical leadership and strong institutional safeguards remain critical to building a transparent and accountable public service.
“Enforcement alone will not solve the problem of corruption. Prevention must be pursued in equal measure. We need to look inwards,” Aliyu declared.
The ICPC Chairman disclosed that a 2025 anti-corruption study conducted across 11 African countries revealed that greed and lack of integrity were responsible for nearly 50 per cent of corruption cases within public institutions.
He warned that unless systemic reforms are implemented, public agencies would continue to battle entrenched corruption and governance challenges.
Aliyu outlined several anti-corruption mechanisms currently deployed by the Commission, including Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units, corruption risk assessments, ethics education programmes and institutional review systems.
He further urged chief executives and board members to strictly comply with laws guiding procurement, fiscal management and public accountability.
The ICPC boss also cautioned governing boards against interfering in administrative responsibilities reserved for management teams, warning that such conflicts often create governance crises and weaken institutional effectiveness.
The event featured prominent government officials including Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who called on public institutions to leverage technology and innovation for better service delivery.
The office of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, represented by Mr. Oladapo Okunnu, also advocated ethical leadership and responsible communication in governance.
Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Dr. Abubakar Ibrahim Kana expressed concerns over undue interference in the functions of chief executives by some governing boards.
Observers at the programme described the engagement as timely amid increasing calls for reforms, accountability and institutional discipline within Nigeria’s public sector.
Aliyu, in his closing remarks, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to partnering with public institutions in promoting transparency, integrity and efficiency in governance.
ICPC Boss Raises Alarm Over Governance Failures, Corruption in Public Agencies
