The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s basic education sector through stronger collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Dr. Aliyu made this known when he warmly received the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, and her management team during a courtesy visit to the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja.
The visit, long anticipated but delayed due to scheduling constraints, marked a significant milestone in strengthening institutional cooperation between the two agencies toward improving governance and service delivery in Nigeria’s education system.
In his remarks, the ICPC Chairman emphasised the shared mandate of both institutions in ensuring transparency, accountability, and good governance in the management of public resources, particularly those dedicated to basic education.
According to the ICPC boss, the collaboration would help ensure that funds allocated for educational development are efficiently utilised for the benefit of Nigerian children.
Dr. Aliyu, who commended Dr. Aisha’s leadership at UBEC and the Commission’s unwavering commitment to providing free, compulsory, and quality basic education for every Nigerian child, reiterated that the ICPC’s anti-corruption efforts extend beyond enforcement, encompassing preventive measures, education, and system studies and reviews to strengthen integrity in public institutions.
Highlighting ICPC’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), Dr. Aliyu described it as a critical tool in monitoring UBEC-funded projects across the country.
The ICPC Chairman explained that CEPTI ensures value for money, quality delivery, and transparency in the execution of educational infrastructure and programs, which aligns with UBEC’s mission to expand equitable access to quality education nationwide.
Earlier in her remarks, Dr. Aisha Garba, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, reaffirmed the Commission’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, stressing UBEC’s proactive steps to entrench integrity and accountability in its operations. She disclosed that UBEC has established Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) across all its offices to mainstream ethical conduct and transparency within the organisation.
Dr. Aisha further revealed that UBEC has achieved full compliance with the Public Procurement Act, having recently undergone a procurement audit conducted by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
According to her, the audit outcome demonstrates UBEC’s commitment to upholding financial discipline and due process. She added that all public officers within the Commission at headquarters, zonal, state, and local levels have subscribed to a Code of Transparency, ensuring accountability across all tiers of operation.
She described the partnership with the ICPC as strategic and essential for strengthening preventive mechanisms against corruption, noting that UBEC seeks the Commission’s technical support in implementing anti-corruption frameworks across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The visit concluded with a shared commitment to deepen collaboration between the two institutions. Dr. Aliyu proposed the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize and strengthen the existing partnership, thereby enhancing the collective effort to safeguard Nigeria’s educational resources and promote integrity in governance.
