The Management Team of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) on Friday, 30 January 2026, paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency, Abdullahi A. Sule, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, at his private lounge in the Government House, Lafia.
The visit was aimed at strengthening the longstanding collaboration between ACAN and the Nasarawa State Government, a partnership that dates back to the inception of the Academy.
Speaking during the visit, the Provost of ACAN, Professor Sherrif Ghalli Ibrahim—represented by the Deputy Director (Administration), Mr. Clement Obaniyi—expressed the Academy’s appreciation to the Nasarawa State Government for its sustained support over the years. He explained that ACAN serves as the training and research arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and noted that the decision to locate the Academy in Keffi, Nasarawa State, was taken by the Commission under the leadership of the late Justice Emmanuel Ayoola.
The Provost further explained that the Academy was established to build the capacity of public servants and members of the general public on anti-corruption matters, with particular emphasis on corruption prevention. He stressed that prevention is more cost-effective and sustainable than enforcement, noting that many corrupt practices go unreported and that even successful prosecutions often involve significant public expenditure.
He informed the Governor of the Academy’s readiness to collaborate with the Nasarawa State Government in building the capacity of its officials, especially those at the local government level. He also encouraged the Governor to nominate relevant state functionaries for participation in ACAN’s open training programmes scheduled for 2026.
In his response, Governor Abdullahi A. Sule thanked the ACAN delegation for the visit and reaffirmed his administration’s openness to partnerships with credible institutions such as the Academy. He disclosed that he had previously held discussions with the current Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN and emphasized the centrality of integrity in governance.
The Governor agreed with the ICPC and ACAN that preventing corruption is far more cost-effective than addressing it after it occurs. He noted that corruption prevention should go beyond training to include the deliberate promotion of integrity, ethical values, and accountability, given the complexities of modern society.
Governor Sule expressed readiness to partner with ACAN in the training of Nasarawa State officials, beginning with state-level functionaries and extending to local government officials. He further disclosed that local government councils in the state receive their constitutionally allocated funds without state interference.
He also expressed willingness to support training and investigative efforts relating to the utilization of local government funds. In this regard, he directed the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state to cooperate fully with the Academy, while encouraging the ICPC to intensify monitoring of local government finances.