By Nkechi Eze
As the global community marks the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Day, the Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) and The Electoral Hub have issued a strong call for united action against corruption, urging Nigerian youth to assume their role as central drivers of integrity, accountability and national renewal. In an official signed statement, the Director of IRIAD–The Electoral Hub, Princess Hamman-Obels, condemned the persistent and destructive grip of corruption on Nigeria, describing it as a daily reality that weakens institutions, distorts opportunity, and undermines national development. She emphasised that corruption deprives citizens of quality services, erodes public trust, and limits the potential of entire generations.
This year’s theme, “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity,” underscores the strategic position of young people as guardians of transparency and reform. Princess Hamman-Obels noted that youth are uniquely placed to drive accountability due to their energy, innovation and first-hand experience of corruption’s impacts, including underfunded schools and hospitals, limited job opportunities and barriers to civic and political participation. She explained that young Nigerians often bear the heaviest burden of systemic corruption, encountering obstacles that weaken trust in governance and restrict personal development. Empowering them through education, civic-tech, advocacy and leadership, she said, is essential to building corruption-resilient societies and achieving sustainable development.
IRIAD’s statement drew attention to troubling national figures that reveal the scale of the challenge. According to the 2023 National Bureau of Statistics/UNODC corruption survey, public officials received an estimated ₦721 billion in bribes in 2023 alone. More than 87 million bribe payments were made during the year, while nearly 27 percent of citizens interacting with public officials paid a bribe, with even more reporting that they were asked to do so but refused. These numbers, the statement noted, represent more than financial losses; they reflect the millions of Nigerians denied fair access to healthcare, education, public administration, justice and essential services, further straining the relationship between citizens and the state.
The statement also highlighted one of the most damaging consequences of corruption: compromised public-sector employment. Nearly 60 percent of successful public-sector recruitments between 2020 and 2023 reportedly involved bribery, favoritism or nepotism. IRIAD warned that this reality destroys merit, entrenches inequality, demoralises young people and undermines national productivity. A society where people must pay for jobs, it stressed, is one that weakens its own future. Yet, despite these challenges, the organisation expressed hope in the growing resistance led by young Nigerians through digital activism, investigative journalism, civic mobilisation and community-based accountability efforts. The 2025 theme, it noted, recognises youth not only as victims of a broken system but as vital leaders of reform, innovation and institutional integrity.
IRIAD emphasised that preventing corruption is a collective responsibility transcending national borders. Corruption fuels conflicts, undermines peace processes, weakens democracy, drives human rights violations, worsens poverty and facilitates organised crime and terrorism. Nigeria, the group insisted, cannot overcome these challenges without the active involvement and principled leadership of its young population, supported by institutional commitment, political will and systemic reforms designed to dismantle bribery, favoritism, procurement fraud, diversion of public funds and entrenched impunity.
On this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day, the organisation called on all stakeholders including government institutions, the legislature, the judiciary, anti-corruption agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, the private sector, the media, families and young Nigerians to take concrete action toward shaping a corruption-resilient society. It urged government to demonstrate political will by prosecuting corruption cases without fear or favour, strengthening recruitment transparency and creating structured platforms for youth oversight. It encouraged legislators to reinforce anti-corruption laws, eliminate budget padding and create avenues for youth engagement in lawmaking processes, while calling on the judiciary to expedite corruption cases and uphold full independence.
IRIAD also appealed to anti-corruption agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC and CCB to conduct impartial investigations, provide youth-friendly reporting channels and publish regular updates on case outcomes. Religious and traditional leaders were urged to use their moral influence to promote integrity and reject the celebration of unexplained wealth. Civil society groups were encouraged to embrace authentic youth leadership and offer protection to activists facing threats, while the private sector was reminded to adopt zero-tolerance policies and model merit-based recruitment. The media, it said, should sustain investigative reporting and celebrate integrity rather than questionable affluence. Families were advised to instill ethical values in children, resist shortcuts and support young people who choose integrity in the face of pressure.
Appealing directly to the Nigerian youth, IRIAD urged them to refuse participation in corrupt acts, use available reporting tools, leverage digital platforms for advocacy, support leaders of proven integrity, build solidarity networks and engage with credible civic organisations working to strengthen accountability. The statement concluded with a renewed call for collective commitment to building a Nigeria resilient to corruption, where public trust is restored and where young people can shape a future defined not by impunity but by integrity, justice and opportunity for all.
