The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) have agreed to strengthen their collaboration to promote transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s basic education system, Peak Newspaper reports.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, said the partnership would ensure that public funds allocated for educational development are judiciously used for the benefit of Nigerian children.
“Both ICPC and UBEC share a common responsibility — to guarantee that resources meant for the education of our children are not diverted or wasted,” Dr. Aliyu said. “Our collaboration will deepen transparency and promote integrity in the management of public funds within the education sector.”
Dr. Aliyu spoke while receiving the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, and her management team on a courtesy visit to the ICPC headquarters in Abuja.
He commended UBEC’s efforts in expanding access to quality education and highlighted the role of the Commission’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI) in monitoring UBEC-funded projects nationwide.
“CEPTI has become a vital tool for ensuring value for money and quality delivery in educational projects,” the ICPC boss explained. “It aligns perfectly with UBEC’s mission to improve equity and standards in basic education.”
On her part, Dr. Aisha Garba reaffirmed UBEC’s commitment to accountability and transparency, noting that the Commission has instituted several reforms to prevent corruption.
“UBEC maintains a zero-tolerance policy on corruption,” Dr. Garba declared. “We have established Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units across our offices and achieved full compliance with the Public Procurement Act following an audit by the Bureau of Public Procurement.”
She added that all UBEC staff, from headquarters to state and local offices, have subscribed to a Code of Transparency to promote ethical conduct and responsibility.
Dr. Garba described the renewed partnership with ICPC as “strategic and essential” to entrench preventive measures against corruption across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The meeting ended with both institutions agreeing to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize the collaboration and strengthen anti-corruption frameworks in the education sector.
“Our goal is clear — to safeguard Nigeria’s educational resources and promote integrity in governance,” Dr. Aliyu concluded.
