The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has entered into a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association’s Anti-Corruption Committee to tackle corruption within Nigeria’s justice sector and strengthen ethical standards among legal practitioners.

The collaboration was sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, creating a formal framework for joint action on integrity, accountability and the rule of law across the legal system.

A separate MoU was also concluded between the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee and the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, the ICPC’s training and research institute. That agreement focuses on building institutional and human capacity through structured training, research and professional development for lawyers, prosecutors and other justice-sector actors.

ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, described the partnership as a deliberate response to the scale and complexity of corruption in Nigeria, particularly in the justice system where public trust is fragile.

Aliyu said corruption thrives when institutions operate in silos, but partnerships create the conditions for integrity to take root. He stressed that the MoU is designed to harmonise enforcement with prevention, capacity building, public enlightenment and ethical reorientation, rather than relying solely on arrests and prosecutions.

According to him, the synergy between the ICPC and the NBA is essential to restoring confidence in the courts, ensuring that legal processes are not subverted by bribery, influence peddling or professional misconduct.

He also underscored the role of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria in shaping a new generation of legal professionals for whom integrity is “non-negotiable,” noting that sustained education and skills development are central to any lasting reform.

Chairman of the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee, Professor Babafemi A. Badejo, said the agreements represent a decisive move towards building stronger institutions and entrenching professional integrity within the bar.

Badejo explained that the MoU with the ICPC will support joint initiatives to promote ethical conduct, enhance investigative and prosecutorial capacity, raise public awareness on corruption in the justice sector and advocate reforms to close loopholes exploited by corrupt actors.

He added that the partnership with ACAN will enable specialised anti-corruption training, collaborative research and certification programmes tailored to the needs of lawyers and justice-sector personnel.

Both institutions expressed confidence that the collaboration will yield measurable progress in promoting transparency, strengthening the rule of law and advancing accountability across Nigeria’s legal and governance systems.