By Nkechi Eze
In a renewed drive to strengthen institutional integrity and advance the fight against corruption at the sub-national level, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday convened a one-day regional conference with State Attorneys-General from Nigeria’s South-South region.
The high-level engagement, held at Spring Hill Hotel & Suites in Asaba, Delta State, brought together top legal officials from the region, senior ICPC officers, and representatives from the Delta State Ministry of Justice to deliberate on strategic approaches to combating corruption within the federating states. The conference was themed “Institutional Integrity and Regional Cooperation: The Role of Attorneys-General in Advancing a Corruption-Free South-South.”
According to an official signed statement by ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, the Special Guest of Honour and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, while declaring the conference open, applauded the initiative and underscored the critical need for sustained collaboration between federal anti-corruption agencies and state legal institutions. He noted that regional unity and synergy were essential for fostering transparency, accountability, and good governance.
Goodwill messages from the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau and serving Attorneys-General from across the South-South states reinforced a shared commitment to the rule of law and the promotion of ethical governance structures across the region.
Delivering the keynote address, former Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN, described Attorneys-General as “strategic gatekeepers” of legal and institutional reforms. He called for the strengthening of prosecutorial mechanisms and administrative oversight tools to deter public sector corruption at the grassroots level.
In his welcome address, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, emphasised that achieving sustainable anti-corruption outcomes depends heavily on sub-national cooperation. He highlighted that State Attorneys-General, given their constitutional roles, are vital partners in the Commission’s preventive-focused mandate.
“This engagement demonstrates our resolve to work collaboratively across all levels of governance,” Dr. Aliyu stated, noting that zonal strategies adopted by the ICPC have yielded promising results in offering region-specific solutions to corruption challenges.
Discussions at the conference focused on leveraging state-level legal frameworks to bolster anti-corruption efforts, enhancing prosecutorial capacity, improving transparency in public procurement, and fostering a culture of integrity in governance.
Participants collectively recognised the unique constitutional powers of Attorneys-General and advocated for their strategic utilisation in preventing corrupt practices. The ICPC’s zonal approach to institutional engagement was widely praised as a practical and adaptive method for tackling corruption in Nigeria’s diverse political landscape.
Key resolutions adopted at the end of the conference include the need to foster closer collaboration between the ICPC and State Attorneys-General, strengthen capacity-building for investigators and prosecutors, and develop robust frameworks for inter-agency information sharing. The conference also called for the review and reform of existing anti-corruption legislation, promotion of e-procurement systems, and enhanced real-time monitoring of public sector financial activities.
Participants further endorsed the deepening of inter-state collaboration among Attorneys-General within the South-South region as a means to harmonise best practices and jointly confront corruption-related threats.
This latest initiative marks a significant milestone in the ICPC’s commitment to sub-national engagement and reflects its broader strategy to institutionalise accountability and transparency across all levels of government.
