FG, Experts Urge Information FG, Experts Urge Information Chiefs to Partner with ICPC on Grassroots Anti-Corruption Drive
In a decisive move to combat graft where it hits hardest, the Federal Government and anti-corruption experts have called for a powerful alliance between state information commissioners and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to strengthen transparency at state and local government levels.
The charge was made in Abuja at a high-level roundtable themed “Partnership for Strengthening Transparency and Accountability at State and Local Government Levels Through Strategic Communication.” The event drew participation from state information commissioners, lawmakers, academics, media leaders, and civil society representatives.
Declaring the meeting open, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, reiterated that fighting corruption is one of the eight-point priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Fighting corruption is indeed one of the priority areas of this administration. That is why the president is strengthening institutions like the ICPC and EFCC. He has vowed there will be no safe haven for corruption in Nigeria,” Idris said, urging information commissioners to leverage state media platforms to amplify anti-corruption messaging.
In his welcome address, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), described state and local government levels as the “real battleground” where corruption inflicts the greatest harm.
“When resources are not utilised properly, it is the farmer without roads, the child without books, and the sick without healthcare who suffer,” he warned.
Aliyu disclosed that ICPC had previously engaged 34 State Attorneys-General and was now expanding collaboration to include information commissioners. He also unveiled the Commission’s Communication Strategy, aligned with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2022–2026), which emphasizes proactive disclosure, participatory governance, ethical reorientation, and grassroots partnerships.
“Transparency builds trust between government and the people; accountability sustains it. Together, they ensure resources are used for the public good,” he added.
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Delivering the keynote, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu of Bayero University Kano stressed that enforcement alone cannot end corruption. “Strategic communication must be deliberate, planned, and sustained. Citizens are not passive—they constantly assess if leaders are open, fair, and responsive. Where communication falters, corruption thrives,” he said.
A panel session, moderated by Yushau A. Shuaib, Editor-in-Chief of PRNigeria, brought together experts including the President of the Congress of African Journalists, Mr. Chris Isiguzo; ICPC spokesperson, Mr. Demola Bakare; and Commissioners of Information Hon. Sagir Ahmed (Jigawa) and Barr. Zainab Jalijgo (Taraba).
Panelists outlined a comprehensive strategy for grassroots anti-corruption communication. They recommended framing corruption in terms of its direct impact on citizens’ lives, not as an abstract concept. They also advocated for leveraging social media and community platforms with localized storytelling and engaging trusted local voices, like community leaders and influencers, to amplify messages. They further called for coordinated platforms to deploy unified communication campaigns that foster collective responsibility.
The Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, represented by Mr. Uboh Emelike on behalf of Chairman Senator Emmanuel Udende, described the ICPC as the “custodian of public trust” and urged commissioners to see themselves as “generals in this war.” Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Kayode Akiola, urged closer collaboration between ICPC and state ministries of information.
On behalf of his colleagues, Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, pledged that state governments would deepen cooperation with ICPC to sustain grassroots anti-corruption campaigns.
Also in attendance were associate professor of strategic communication, Dr Sule Yau Sule, the Directors-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace; Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr. Mohammed Bulama; National Orientation Agency (NOA), Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu; and the President’s Special Adviser on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare.
Across speeches, the keynote, and the interactive sessions, a central theme emerged: without strategic communication and genuine partnerships, anti-corruption campaigns at the grassroots level cannot succeed.
By PRNigeria
