The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has restated the Commission’s unwavering commitment to promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability across Nigeria.
Speaking through the Head of the EFCC Enlightenment Unit, Assistant Commander Aisha Mohammed, at a strategy session for the restructuring of the Integrity Icon Nigeria (IIN) Awards on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, Olukoyede emphasized the urgent need to restore Nigeria’s reputation through ethical leadership and public service.
“As a nation, our integrity rating has been terribly lowered by a combination of unsavoury practices,” he said, noting that every genuine effort to reverse this narrative is both “patriotic and rewarding.”
Olukoyede described the Integrity Icon Nigeria Awards as an “innovative effort” to relaunch Nigeria on a path of global respectability, adding that integrity remains a core value of the EFCC. “There is no better way to drive development… without integrity,” he said.
He called on Accountability Lab, the organisers of the IIN award, to ensure a meticulous and credible selection process, warning that the value of the award is tied to the integrity of its recipients. “The only means of dignifying those lifting the award is to ensure that they are credible Nigerians,” he stressed.
Olukoyede also proposed a strategic partnership between Accountability Lab and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to amplify the award’s impact and deepen the national conversation around ethical values.
“Nigeria is our commonwealth. All hands must be on deck,” he said, pledging EFCC’s continued support for initiatives that promote national development and integrity.
Accountability Lab’s Public Policy and Research Officer, Mnenga Shiiwua, disclosed that since its inception, the award has honoured 40 civil servants over eight years, with support from the MacArthur Foundation. “The campaign has helped shift conversations from negative narratives about civil servants to one that celebrates ethical leadership,” he said.
SERVICOM’s representative, Tony Ochelegbe, also expressed support for the initiative and promised to assist in connecting the organisers with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) during the nomination process.
The event, attended by stakeholders from ICPC, NOA, and civil society groups, focused on improving the award’s structure and sustainability in line with Chatham House’s recommendations on reward systems for public service ethics.
The Integrity Icon Nigeria award is a citizen-driven initiative of Accountability Lab, aimed at spotlighting honest public servants and promoting a culture of integrity in governance.
Source: EFCC Press Release, May 14, 2025 Issued by: Dele Oyewale, Head, Media & Publicity, EFCC
