The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged heads of tertiary institutions across the country to strengthen internal controls, address corruption risks and ensure that interventions funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) deliver value for money.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, gave the charge on Monday while declaring open a two-day Organisational Integrity Management Capacity-Building Programme for officials of TETFund beneficiary institutions in Abuja.
The programme was organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training and research arm of ICPC, with support from TETFund.
Aliyu warned that weak procurement practices, inadequate project supervision, ineffective internal controls, conflicts of interest and financial mismanagement could undermine investments in the nation’s tertiary education sector.
He stressed that the impact of government funding would depend largely on the transparency, accountability and integrity demonstrated by beneficiary institutions in managing the resources entrusted to them.
“Integrity must not exist merely in policy documents or institutional mission statements. It must be reflected in everyday decisions, administrative processes, and the management of public resources,” he said.
The ICPC chairman urged institutional leaders to demonstrate ethical conduct, enforce established procedures and establish appropriate channels for reporting misconduct without fear of retaliation.
He also called on the institutions to institutionalise corruption risk assessments, improve documentation and segregation of duties, ensure independent verification of projects and strengthen their reporting and response mechanisms.
Aliyu further challenged participants to develop specific integrity measures, designate responsible officers, establish implementation timelines and adopt measurable indicators to monitor progress.
According to him, the success of the programme should be assessed by the practical improvements introduced in the participating institutions rather than attendance or participation.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to preventing corruption through System Study and Review, Corruption Risk Assessment, the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard and capacity-building initiatives implemented through ACAN.
In his remarks, the Provost of ACAN, Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, said integrity in tertiary education must extend beyond institutional leadership to academic and non-academic staff as well as students.
He identified honesty, accountability and fairness as critical values for building trust and sustaining ethical standards in educational institutions.
Ibrahim urged tertiary institutions to collaborate with the ICPC in tackling administrative corruption, embezzlement, examination misconduct, the monetisation of marks, sexual harassment and the problem of ghost workers.
He commended TETFund for supporting the initiative, noting that the programme provided an opportunity to strengthen governance and integrity across the education sector.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, represented by the Director of Human Resources and General Administration, Dr Kolapo Okunlola, said funding alone could not guarantee meaningful results without accountable leadership, effective implementation and strict adherence to established standards.
He urged institutional heads to comply with procurement laws, financial regulations and TETFund guidelines, while taking responsibility for project outcomes and protecting individuals who report misconduct.
Echono reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to transparency and accountability, urging participants to identify institutional vulnerabilities and apply the lessons from the training to improve governance.
He added that the impact of TETFund interventions should be measured not only by the funds disbursed but also by the integrity of their management and the improvements they deliver in educational infrastructure, research and learning.
