The Behaviour Change Cohort of the MacArthur Foundation has underscored its ongoing commitment to fostering transparency and accountability in the country.
At a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the cohort comprising Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Step up Nigeria, Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, and others affirmed their unwavering resolve towards transforming the country’s corruption landscape.
Olajumoke Alawode-James,
Communications Manager, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, said that the cohort had pledged to extend its anti-corruption efforts beyond 2024.
Alawode-James said that the cohort’s work had reached diverse communities and sectors across Nigeria, benefiting millions through innovative use of media and technology.
Also, Oluwaferanmi Iyanda, Director of Programmes, Step up Nigeria, emphasised the need to begin to inspire Nigerians to shun corruption at the early age.
Iyanda said that part of its programmes had saw to the development of moral instruction and security studies into the school curriculum.
She said that this efforts had led to the teaching of these subjects in about 24,000 schools across 18 states of the country.
”Some Nigerians believe that fighting corruption begins with our teachers and children, and this is what inspired our initiative.
“Part of that is what we have been doing to change corrupt behaviours by teaching children the negative impact of corruption.
“We also show them what they can do even as young people to begin to tackle corruption at an early age,” she said.
Iyanda said that it was also about understanding that children had multiple set of influence.
She said that ot would help to train parents to begin to influence and also to begin to train teachers using civic education, security studies and and moral instructions in the curriculum as well.
She said that the organisation had been able to work with state governments to approve the use of anti-corruption curriculum to teach civic education in the country.
“At the moment, we have an ongoing partnership with the Association for Formidable Educational Development, which has situated the art of education in the curriculum for 24,000 schools in 18 states.
“We also have an integrity certification programme which certifies those who have academic integrity and also ensuring that examination malpractices are reduced,” she said.
Highlight of the briefing was the coming together of the cohort through an agreement for continued collaboration with stakeholders to sustain and expand these efforts.
Other organisations in the cohort are Accountability Lab, Chatham House, NIPSS, NISER, Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), and Al- Habibiyyab Islamic Society, among others.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA