The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has declared Nigerian youths as the nation’s most potent force in the fight against corruption.
He described them as the essential rebuilders of today.
Olukoyede spoke through the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, Kano Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday Ebelo, at the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) Conference.
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He outlined a new vision for collaboration between anti-graft institutions and the younger generation.
Olukoyede hailed the 2025 theme, “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption, Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”, as a masterstroke for recognising outh as the most powerful force for transformative change.
“We categorically reject the narrow view that casts young people as passive victims or willing participants in corruption. We see in you as the most potent antibodies to the virus of corruption,” he stated.
Lamenting the destructive impact of the menace, Olukoyede described corruption as the major bane of development and the direct result of instabilities and uncertainties in the country.
He warned the youth that corruption “is a direct thief of your opportunities, your potential, and your future.”
Olukoyede issued a direct challenge to the youth, urging them to evolve from bystanders to co-architects of a new system such as integrity champions in their schools, transparency advocates in their communities and digital patriots online.
He implored them to see reporting corruption not as an act of betrayal, but as the ultimate act of patriotism.
Olukoyede stressed the need to move from commemoration to “concrete collaboration,” emphasising, “This is the meaning of ‘uniting with’ you, not speaking to you, but walking alongside you.”
To facilitate this collaboration, the EFCC boss urged youths to actively participate in safeguarding national integrity by using secure platforms like the Commission’s Eagle Eye App reporting channel.
The app is a technology-driven tool designed to ease the process of reporting economic and financial crimes, often with the assurance of anonymity for whistle-blowers.
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The ultimate vision, he stated, is “a Nigeria where success is earned, service is sacred, and integrity is our most cherished national asset.”
Following the conference, he extended the anti-corruption message, appearing on a special live radio show on “Wazobia” Radio to respond to questions from listeners and later paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.
