Universities Must Lead Research to Strengthen Anti-Corruption Fight – ICPC Chairman
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has called on Nigerian universities to assume a more strategic role in the country’s anti-corruption efforts through research, policy innovation and integrity education, stressing that corruption cannot be defeated through prosecution alone.
Dr. Aliyu made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 11th Annual Conference of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, on Tuesday, with the theme, “The Fight against Corruption in Nigeria: The Social Science Perspective.”
According to the ICPC Chairman, corruption should no longer be viewed solely as a criminal offence requiring investigation and prosecution but as a complex social phenomenon influenced by human behaviour, institutional weaknesses, cultural norms, economic incentives and governance structures.
He noted that while enforcement remains an essential component of the anti-corruption framework, sustainable success would depend on evidence-based policies, behavioural change, institutional reforms and active citizen participation.
“Answers to why people engage in corruption, how institutions encourage or discourage corrupt practices, and what reforms are most effective cannot emerge solely from criminal investigations. They require rigorous empirical research, interdisciplinary scholarship, and policy experimentation,” he said.
Dr. Aliyu cited findings from a recent study conducted by the Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre (CAACC), which identified greed, lack of integrity, and poverty as major drivers of corruption across the region. He observed that the findings underscored the need to tackle corruption beyond the confines of law enforcement by addressing its behavioural and socio-economic roots.
Describing research as the foundation of effective anti-corruption strategies, the Chairman urged universities to expand scholarly work in critical areas such as corruption risk assessment, public sector accountability, behavioural economics, digital governance, procurement transparency, beneficial ownership transparency, ethics education, artificial intelligence and anti-corruption, citizen participation and social accountability mechanisms.
He emphasized that research outputs should not be confined to academic shelves but translated into practical policies, legislative reforms, and institutional improvements capable of strengthening governance.
The ICPC Chairman, however, noted that preventing corruption remains more sustainable and cost-effective than investigating and prosecuting offences after public resources have already been lost.
He therefore advocated stronger corruption-proof systems through process automation, transparent procurement, digital service delivery, robust internal controls, whistle-blower protection, open budgeting, conflict-of-interest management, ethics compliance, and regular corruption risk assessments.
Calling for greater collaboration among critical stakeholders, Dr. Aliyu urged government institutions, the legislature, judiciary, academia, civil society organisations, the media, the private sector, religious and traditional institutions, development partners and citizens to work together in promoting transparency, accountability and ethical leadership.
He maintained that integrity education should become a lifelong learning process beginning from childhood and reinforced through schools, families, workplaces, and public institutions.
“The fight against corruption is ultimately a fight for national development, social justice, and the dignity of our people. Together, through research, innovation, ethical leadership and collective action, we can build a Nigeria where integrity becomes the norm rather than the exception,” he stated.
The ICPC Chairman commended the Faculty of Social Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, for organising the conference and expressed optimism that its deliberations would generate practical ideas and policy recommendations capable of advancing Nigeria’s anti-corruption agenda.
