The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to formalising a strategic partnership with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSE) as part of efforts to strengthen advocacy, prevent corruption and protect millions of vulnerable children across the country.
The assurance was given by the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, when he received the Executive Secretary of NCAOOSE, Dr. Mohammed Sani Idris, and his delegation during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Dr. Aliyu described the engagement as one rooted in national survival and leadership continuity, emphasising that the work of NCAOOSE goes beyond administrative responsibility and directly impacts the country’s future.
Drawing from his experience as former Attorney-General of Jigawa State, the ICPC Chairman noted that keeping children in school remains a complex but essential undertaking. He stressed that children must remain under responsible parental guidance while accessing quality education to safeguard Nigeria’s next generation of leaders.
“The issues raised by the Executive Secretary are not merely administrative; they are fundamental to the preservation of our nation’s future leadership,” Dr. Aliyu stated.
He warned that young persons should not be burdened with responsibilities beyond their years, adding that failure to protect vulnerable children could have far-reaching implications for national stability and development.
To translate discussions into concrete outcomes, Dr. Aliyu proposed the swift finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies. According to him, the formal agreement would establish a structured framework for collaboration and allow the ICPC to deploy key anti-corruption instruments, including Corruption Risk Assessment, to proactively block financial leakages and enhance transparency within NCAOOSE’s educational intervention programmes.
He further highlighted the strategic role of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria in driving behavioural change and strengthening integrity systems across institutions. The ICPC boss assured that the Commission would leverage the Academy’s initiatives to support NCAOOSE in delivering its mandate effectively and transparently.
In a move signalling urgency, Dr. Aliyu directed the heads of the Commission’s Public Education Department, External Cooperation Department and the Academy to immediately engage their NCAOOSE counterparts to identify areas of synergy and accelerate the proposed partnership.
Earlier in his remarks, Dr. Mohammed Sani Idris painted a sobering picture of Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis, citing statistics from UNICEF which estimate that over 18.3 million children are currently out of school in the country.
He explained that Almajiri and other vulnerable children are not only deprived of education but are also exposed to heightened risks, including sexual abuse, medical neglect and various societal dangers.
Dr. Idris lamented what he described as the growing abdication of parental responsibility, stressing that child neglect and street begging contradict both moral obligations and religious teachings.
Within this context of deep vulnerability, he argued that a robust partnership with the ICPC is indispensable. According to him, tackling corruption-related factors that worsen the education gap — particularly in advocacy, resource allocation and programme implementation — is critical to safeguarding affected children.
The NCAOOSE Executive Secretary was also candid about the operational challenges confronting the Commission. He disclosed that although the agency currently operates about 200 learning centres and has identified more than 700,000 out-of-school children for intervention, its capacity is severely constrained by inadequate funding.
He pointed to limited office infrastructure and an insufficient fleet of operational vehicles as additional bottlenecks hindering effective service delivery.
Dr. Idris stressed that substantially increased financial backing is non-negotiable if the Commission is to scale its interventions and meet the enormity of the national challenge.
In a direct appeal, he urged the ICPC Chairman to use his office to advocate for improved budgetary support for NCAOOSE from the appropriate authorities responsible for funding Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The meeting ended with both institutions expressing firm commitment to sustained collaboration, anchored on transparency, accountability and the protection of vulnerable children.
Officials from both sides agreed that confronting systemic corruption risks within the education support framework is essential to reversing the out-of-school trend and ensuring that millions of affected children are reintegrated into formal learning structures.
The shared objective, they affirmed, is to build a coordinated and integrity-driven response that safeguards Nigeria’s most vulnerable demographic while strengthening public trust in educational intervention programmes nationwide.
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