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ICPC Inaugurates NYSC Anti-Corruption And Transparency Unit

Published

5 years ago

November 19, 2021

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said its partnership with the NYSC would continue to play a vital part in the re-orientation of youths to imbibe positive virtues of hard work and patriotism.

It said all hands must be on deck to ensure that corruption is eradicated in Nigeria.

ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye stated this today in Abuja while inaugurating the Anti-Corruption and Transparency (ACTU) Sub-Units of the National Youth Service Corps.

He commended the Corps for its intention to expand its scope of operation in the fight against corruption.

Addressing the newly inductees, the ICPC boss who was represented by Mr Demola Bakare said in order to achieve its mandate, the ACTU must execute its statutory duties which include periodic sensitization of staff against corruption, examination of systems, processes and procedures that are prone to corruption and proffering solutions.

He added that they must develop and review the code of ethics for staff and ensure compliance, monitor budget implementation of the Corps and undertake preliminary investigations on complaints, among others.

“To the newly appointed members, l encourage you to work hard, be above board, be responsible and responsive in the exercise of your functions and avoid any questionable acts given the strategic role you are expected to play in your offices”, he said.

Owasanoye urged NYSC Management not to relent in its support to the ACTU, but go a step further to extend same to the sub-units at the Scheme’s State Secretariats and Area Offices by continuing to provide a conducive environment for them.

He emphasized that ACTU was not established to displace Management, rather the Unit will complement Management’s effort in promoting the core values of the NYSC.

In his address, NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim said the Scheme earned recognition for its efforts at promoting ethics following an Annual Ethics and Compliance Scorecard and ACTU Effectiveness Index conducted by the ICPC in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the last quarter of year 2020.

He stated that the exercise is a system study to ascertain the level of compliance with ethics, statutory and integrity standards by MDAs and ACTU Effectiveness Index.

“At the end of the exercise, the Scheme scored 77.75% to record a substantial compliance level and ranked among the ten best performing MDAs”, the DG said.

Speaking further, Ibrahim whose address was presented by the Director, Human Resource Management, Hajiya Habiba Bappah said today’s inauguration is a follow-up to the induction of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the NYSC Headquarters which took place recently where he emphasized the need to replicate the Unit in all NYSC Area Offices and State Seçretariats.

He enjoined the ACTU Sub-Unit members to be above board in complementing the efforts of the main Unit at the National Directorate Headquarters Abuja.

“We will continue to deepen our strides towards enthrenching work ethics of integrity, transparency, accountability and efficiency”, the DG said.

Ibrahim enjoined the inductees to maintain good records of proven integrity, dedication to duty and utilise the knowledge acquired for the effective discharge of their assignment.

“We will rely on you for the promotion of diligence at work, fairness and sincerity, in line with the standard set by the commission”, Ibrahim added.

In his introductory address, the Acting Director, Special Duties, Alhaji Musa Abubakar who was represented by Mr Emmanuel Tapshang said the activities of ACTU has reawakened the consciousness of staff and engendered better attitude to work.

He enjoined the new inductees to effectively guide and supervise the Anti-Corruption Vanguard so as to make their activities more result-oriented while he promised that management would provide the necessary support to enable them succeed.

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Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

13 hours ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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