ICPC Chairman To Deliver Verbatim Lecture On Integrity And Service Delivery

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu, SAN, is set to deliver the Verbatim 2026 Lecture on Tuesday, September 29, in Abuja, with a focus on the role of integrity in improving public service delivery.

Aliyu will speak on the theme, “The Power of Integrity in Service Delivery,” at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre, where the lecture will serve as the centrepiece of the Verbatim Annual Ethics and Integrity Awards.

The event, organised by Verbatim Magazine in partnership with the ICPC, will also recognise the Top 100 Performing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) identified through the ICPC Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) 2025.

The occasion will be chaired by Senator Ambassador Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, OON, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Canada and former Minister of State for Power and Steel.

The programme, scheduled for 2 p.m., is expected to bring together senior government officials, heads of MDAs, policymakers, diplomats, civil society representatives, academics, public-sector leaders and other stakeholders in governance and national development.

The awards ceremony will formally recognise the 100 MDAs identified in the EICS 2025, with their respective chief executives receiving the Pillars of Integrity in Public Service Award for their institutions’ performance in the ICPC’s ethics and integrity compliance assessment.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Verbatim Magazine, Tobs Agbaegbu, said Professor Hagher’s decision to chair the occasion would add significant value to discussions on integrity, leadership and institutional performance.

Agbaegbu said Hagher’s experience in public service, diplomacy and academia made him particularly suited to chair an event focused on ethical leadership and responsible governance.

“We are honoured that His Excellency, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, has accepted to chair this important occasion. His distinguished record in public service and diplomacy adds significant value to a programme focused on integrity, responsible leadership and service to the nation,” he said.

He added that the participation of the ICPC chairman as guest lecturer would deepen discussions on the relationship between ethical conduct and effective public service.

According to Agbaegbu, the theme reflects the initiative’s objective of promoting a public-service culture where transparency, ethical conduct and institutional responsibility contribute to improved service delivery and greater public trust.

The event will also feature the unveiling of the Verbatim 100 Most Integrity-Compliant MDAs and their CEOs, as well as the presentation of the Pillars of Integrity in Public Service Awards and special commendations to selected institutions and personalities.

Agbaegbu said the initiative formed part of Verbatim Magazine’s broader commitment to developmental journalism, public accountability and the documentation of leadership, governance and institutional performance in Nigeria.

“Integrity is not merely an ethical ideal; it is an essential foundation for effective governance, public trust and quality service delivery. By recognising institutions that demonstrate commitment to ethical standards, Verbatim seeks to encourage a culture in which integrity becomes an integral part of public-sector performance,” he said.

The Verbatim 2026 Lecture and Ethics and Integrity Awards is expected to provide a platform for discussions on how ethical leadership and institutional integrity can strengthen public institutions and improve the quality of services delivered to Nigerians.

The Verbatim Annual Ethics and Integrity Awards is part of the publication’s Verbatim 100 Series, a developmental journalism initiative aimed at identifying, documenting and recognising institutions and individuals whose contributions are considered significant to Nigeria’s national development.