By Laraba MUREY
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in partnership with Master Agent Show, has launched the Basic Education Anti-Corruption Debate, BEAD, an initiative aimed at promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability among young Nigerians.
The programme was unveiled at a press briefing on Thursday at the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, the Divisional Head of Education, Mr. Okor Odey, said the BEAD project aligns with the Commission’s mission of addressing social challenges through education and awareness.
A statement by Director of Public Enlightenment and Education for the Commission, Demola Bakare, quoted Odey as saying that, “The goal is to integrate discussions on ethics into their everyday life.”
He described the initiative as a renewed national commitment to transparency and accountability that will inspire stories of integrity and entrench anti-corruption values for generations to come.
The Managing Director of Master Agent Show, Mr. Osigbeme Enike, explained that BEAD was conceived to “empower youth to champion transparency, accountability, and ethical values from the grassroots level.” He revealed that participating schools would submit video entries on themes such as “Citizens’ Character or Government Cabinet,” with selected entries broadcast on partner media outlets reaching over 10 million radio listeners and one million digital viewers per episode.
Mr. Enike further disclosed that the programme, scheduled to run from September 2025 to July 2026, will be executed in four phases: School Engagement, Regional Selection, Nationwide Broadcast, and Awards. Outstanding participants will receive scholarships, laptops, and other educational incentives, while winning schools will receive monetary prizes.
Also speaking, Mr. Dominic Ogaku, Director of Marketing and Sponsorship at the Master Agent Show, highlighted the importance of using digital platforms to facilitate learning. “The initiative will provide young people opportunities to translate ideas into debates that promote sanity in the digital age while strengthening anti-corruption values,” he said.
According to the organisers, BEAD is expected to engage over 50,000 students from 5,000 junior secondary schools across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
