The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has called for the institutionalisation of anti-corruption education in Nigeria’s legal training system, stressing that legal education must produce lawyers of integrity and not merely legal experts.
made the call on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering a welcome address at the ICPC/Nigerian Law School Workshop for Deans of Faculties of Law on the Teaching of Anti-Corruption in Nigerian Universities and the Nigerian Law School.
The workshop, themed “Institutionalising Anti-Corruption Education in Nigeria Legal Training,” brought together stakeholders in legal education to deliberate on integrating anti-corruption studies into legal training.
According to the ICPC Chairman, corruption continues to undermine Nigeria’s development by weakening public institutions, eroding public trust, distorting economic growth, and compromising effective service delivery.
He noted that addressing the menace requires not only investigation and prosecution but also preventive, educational, and value-driven approaches that can shape ethical consciousness and promote accountability.
Speaking on the role of the legal profession in nation building, Dr. Aliyu said, “The legal profession occupies a central position in the administration of justice and the sustenance of the rule of law. Lawyers serve as custodians of the law, defenders of justice, and critical actors within the justice system.”
He further stressed the need to instil ethical values early in legal training, stating that, “Embedding these principles within university legal education and professional training at the Nigerian Law School is essential to producing lawyers who are not only intellectually competent but also ethically grounded and committed to national development.”
Dr. Aliyu explained that the workshop aligns with the Commission’s preventive and public education mandate as provided under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
He said the engagement was designed to provide a platform for brainstorming on the integration of anti-corruption studies into the LL.B curriculum in line with the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), while also examining curriculum content, delivery models, and lecturer training methodologies.