Corruption: ICPC urges Nigerians to reject ‘everyone is doing it’ mindset

By Progress Godfrey

ABUJA – The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged Nigerians to reject the perception that corruption is inevitable and “everyone is doing it”, warning that such narratives could weaken resistance to corrupt practices.

Chairman of ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, said messages that focus only on how widespread corruption is could breed fatigue, resignation and, in some cases, normalise the conduct they seek to condemn.

Aliyu stressed that anti-corruption communication should instead highlight positive social norms and show citizens that the majority reject corruption, while linking the message to tangible outcomes such as completed projects, recovered funds and improved public services.

He spoke in Abuja on Thursday while delivering a keynote address at the 4th Economic Confidential Lecture and 6th National Spokespersons Awards, organised by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, publishers of Economic Confidential, on the theme, “Anti-Corruption Reforms, Economic Stability and Effective Communication.”

The ICPC Chief also said the rising rate of citizen reporting of corruption indicated that Nigerians were increasingly willing to resist corrupt practices, adding that public institutions must communicate honestly, consistently and proactively.

According to him, “The evidence, however, cautions us that communication must be strategic, not merely loud. Emerging research on anti-corruption communication, including guidance from the Basel Institute on Governance, suggests that messages which simply emphasise how widespread corruption is can inadvertently backfire, breeding fatigue and resignation rather than action, and in some cases even normalising the very conduct they seek to condemn.

“This is because such messages tend to confirm the belief that corruption is inevitable and that ‘everyone is doing it,’ thereby weakening the individual’s resolve to resist it.”

Aliyu further said the media has a strategic role in the anti-corruption campaign, but stressed that credibility remains its greatest asset, with accuracy, professionalism, fairness and objectivity taking precedence over sensationalism.

Earlier in his remarks, the Publisher of Economic Confidential, Yushau A. Shuaib, said the 2026 lecture was designed to examine the relationship between anti-corruption reforms, economic stability and strategic communication, particularly their role in strengthening public trust and institutional credibility.

Shuaib noted that the National Spokespersons Awards, formally launched in 2020, had continued to recognise professionalism, excellence and integrity in public communication, while the organisation also unveiled its research project on Artificial Intelligence in Crisis Communication in Nigeria.

He added that the research, reviewed by communication scholars, was supported by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and shortlisted for the 2026 Golden World Awards in Athens, Greece.

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