The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, CVCNU, have agreed to explore strategic areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening institutional integrity and curbing corruption within the nation’s ivory towers.
This development arose from a Courtesy Visit by the Secretary-General of the CVCNU, Professor Andrew Haruna to the Corporate Headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Haruna described the visit as “both timely and strategic,” noting that it presented an opportunity for a meaningful dialogue between the two institutions, anchored on mutual values of transparency, accountability, and national development.
“Universities as renowned centres of knowledge, character formation and leadership grooming have a critical role to play in shaping a corruption-free future,” he said. “On the other hand, the EFCC as the nation’s frontline anti-graft agency, carries the mandate to promote integrity and combat economic and financial crimes across all sectors, including the education sector.”
Haruna further outlined key areas of potential collaboration including institutional integrity, awareness campaigns, capacity building, research partnerships and support for whistle-blower frameworks within universities.
He emphasized the importance of training for university administrators and other key personnel, noting that a training institute had already been established by the CVCNU for this purpose.
“Before professors become vice-chancellors, they need to understand what it means to manage public funds and oversee complex institutions. It’s only in a place like this, the EFCC, that the right knowledge can be imparted. We don’t need to wait until a professor gets into office and starts saying, ‘I didn’t know’. From the beginning, they must be equipped with the necessary tools and skills”, he said.
He called for EFCC’s support in providing resource persons to offer lectures, seminars and training sessions for university leaders, especially on procurement procedures, financial compliance, and institutional risk management. On research, Haruna proposed collaborative studies and data-driven policy recommendations that focus on tackling corruption in tertiary institutions, public finance management and governance systems.
“We also seek to support whistle-blower frameworks that can enable safe and effective internal reporting within universities. This partnership, once formalized, will not only enhance the reputation and internal governance of our universities, but also contribute significantly to national development goal”, he said.
He commended the EFCC for its “tireless efforts under the visionary leadership of Mr. Ola Olukoyede,” and expressed optimism that the collaboration would set a new benchmark for public-sector engagement with academia.
Responding, Olukoyede expressed appreciation for the visit and described the proposed collaboration as not only welcome but necessary.
“I thank you for extending the hand of collaboration to the EFCC. The role our tertiary institutions play in shaping the future of our country cannot be overemphasized. We need to work together to nip corruption in the bud and raise a generation of leaders who do things right from the start”, he said
The EFCC’s boss noted that the EFCC has an Academy that promotes anti-corruption education and was working toward full accreditation for its degree, diploma and certificate programs. “We can jointly develop a curriculum and even review existing university curricula to include anti-corruption and financial crimes courses,” he suggested. “We also need support from your committee in recommending visiting professors and developing our faculty base.”
He further proposed the creation of a joint committee between the Commission and the CVCNU to design a framework for fraud risk assessment within the university system.
