The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, has challenged Nigerian law students to build their careers on integrity, warning that legal knowledge without strong moral values can become a tool for injustice rather than nation-building.
Aliyu gave the charge while delivering the keynote address at the Dean’s Parley organised by the Faculty of Law, Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, where students, lecturers and legal professionals gathered to discuss the role of young lawyers in tackling corruption.
Speaking on the theme, “Raising the Next Generation of Anti-Corruption Advocates in Nigeria,” the ICPC chairman said corruption remains one of the greatest obstacles to national development, stressing that countries which confront it decisively are better positioned for sustainable growth.
He cited findings from the 2025/2026 Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre survey, which identified corruption as a major development challenge across 14 African countries, with greed and the absence of integrity emerging as its leading causes.
Addressing the students, Aliyu noted that the legal profession demands more than academic excellence.
“Legal knowledge is morally neutral,” he said, explaining that it is the values of those who possess it that determine whether it is used to defend corruption or uphold justice.
To illustrate the long-term impact of corruption, he referenced recent cases handled by the courts, including the diversion of funds from the Nigerian Police Pension Scheme and the abandoned Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate project, where millions of dollars were reportedly disbursed without a single housing unit being completed.
According to him, such cases demonstrate how corruption deprives citizens of essential services, weakens public institutions and limits opportunities for future generations.
He urged students to reject examination malpractice, bribery and every form of academic dishonesty, reminding them that integrity begins long before they enter the courtroom.
Aliyu also encouraged lecturers to see character development as an essential part of legal education, noting that universities must produce graduates who are not only professionally competent but also ethically grounded.
He highlighted ongoing collaboration between the ICPC and the Nigerian Law School to strengthen anti-corruption education under the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Hakeem Babatunde, said corruption within higher education often manifests through examination malpractice, plagiarism, cultism and sexual harassment, urging students to report misconduct through the university’s established channels.
Other speakers, including Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Umaru Ndagi and Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Uwakwe Abugu, emphasised that universities must prepare graduates whose integrity matches their academic qualifications, describing ethical leadership as essential to Nigeria’s future.
