EFCC Chairman Olukoyede: Engineering Graduates Must Fight Corruption

• EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede urged newly inducted engineering graduates to reject corruption and uphold integrity.
• Olukoyede stated that corruption hinders Nigeria's development and endangers lives through unethical engineering practices.
• The EFCC has secured 10,872 convictions and recovered over N1.288 trillion in monetary assets in the last three years.
• The commission is implementing various preventive measures, including a Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre and a new Cybercrime Research Centre.
• He emphasized that a compromised system cannot produce responsible citizens and called for collective societal effort to promote ethics.

Olukoyede emphasized that corruption within the engineering sector poses severe risks, potentially endangering human lives and significantly hindering national progress.

On Friday, November 14, 2026, Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), delivered a strong anti-corruption message to newly inducted engineering graduates. Speaking at the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Olukoyede addressed 45 new engineers during their induction ceremony. His lecture, titled “Integrity, Accountability and the Fight Against Economic and Financial Crimes: Building a Culture of Transparency and Responsibility in Nigeria,” underscored the critical role of ethical conduct within the engineering profession in Nigeria.

Olukoyede emphasized that corruption within the engineering sector poses severe risks, potentially endangering human lives and significantly hindering national progress. He articulated that pervasive corruption has been a primary impediment, preventing Nigeria from effectively converting its vast natural and human resources into tangible wealth and improved living conditions for its population of over 200 million citizens. The EFCC chairman highlighted that a lack of integrity allows professionals to engage in detrimental practices such as falsifying records, manipulating contracts, diverting public funds, and compromising the quality of essential public projects.

The Nigerian EFCC's financial crimes enforcement efforts are robust, as evidenced by Olukoyede's report of 10,872 convictions secured and over N1.288 trillion in monetary assets recovered over the past three years. This aggressive stance extends to various forms of economic sabotage, which he enumerated as embezzlement, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, money laundering, illicit financial flows, terrorist financing, cyber fraud, investment fraud, procurement fraud, bank fraud, tax evasion, economic sabotage, and virtual asset fraud. He specifically warned the engineering graduates and other students against engaging in cybercrime, identity theft, internet fraud, and similar illicit activities, stressing that any short-term gains from such criminal conduct would inevitably tarnish their reputations and future prospects.

To combat these widespread issues, the EFCC has implemented several preventive measures. These include the establishment of a Department of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, tasked with identifying vulnerabilities within government ministries, departments, and agencies, and monitoring budget releases to preempt fraudulent activities. Further initiatives comprise a revised Interfaith Manual, launched on September 23, 2026, in collaboration with religious leaders like the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Sultan of Sokoto. The commission also operates its 97.3 FM radio station, which commenced broadcasting in May 2024, and unveiled a Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre on October 22, 2024. Additionally, a Cybercrime Research Centre has been established at the EFCC's new academy in Giri, Abuja, reinforcing its commitment to tackling digital financial crimes.

Olukoyede underscored that corruption, whether in the public or private sector, remains a significant impediment to Nigeria’s overall development. He particularly stressed the unique responsibility of engineers to uphold professional standards, given that substandard infrastructure directly jeopardizes public safety and erodes trust. The EFCC chairman also criticized a societal trend where unexplained wealth is often celebrated, noting instances where corrupt individuals receive chieftaincy titles, are given prominent positions in places of worship, and are defended along ethnic lines, further entrenching the problem.

Beyond the immediate professional sphere, Olukoyede called for a collective effort from various societal pillars, including families, educational institutions, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and professional bodies, to actively promote ethical conduct. He argued that a system compromised by corruption cannot effectively cultivate responsible citizens or foster credible institutions. During the same event, engineer and entrepreneur Henrich Akomolafe also contributed to the discussion, highlighting how artificial intelligence is transforming engineering design, manufacturing, operation, and maintenance. However, Akomolafe cautioned that AI should serve as a tool to enhance engineering capabilities, rather than replacing professional judgment, ethical considerations, or fundamental human responsibility.

This article reinforces the Nigerian EFCC's aggressive stance against economic and financial crimes across all sectors, including engineering. Lawyers should advise clients on the critical importance of robust anti-corruption compliance programs and ethical conduct to mitigate exposure to EFCC investigations, particularly concerning issues like procurement fraud, cybercrime, and illicit financial flows.

Source: Original reporting via PUNCH