CITAD Marks 2025 Anti-Corruption Day, Warns That Digital Governance is Nigeria’s New Frontline In Fight Against Corruption

By Ladan Nasidi, Kano

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has joined the global community in commemorating the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD), cautioning that Nigeria’s battle against corruption must now confront a fast-growing digital dimension.

In a statement marking the day themed “United Against Corruption for Development, Peace and Security,” CITAD reaffirmed that corruption remains “one of the most significant threats to Nigeria’s development and democratic stability.”

According to the Executive Director, Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, the effects of corruption continue to cut across the country’s political and social landscape. “Corruption weakens public institutions, undermines service delivery, fuels insecurity, and erodes citizens’ trust in governance,” he said. “Despite the efforts of government and civil society, the persistence of corruption demands stronger systemic reforms.”

CITAD expressed deep concern over what it described as the emerging pattern of corruption within Nigeria’s digital systems ranging from opaque data governance and misuse of surveillance tools to political manipulation of cybercrime laws and poor oversight of public digital infrastructure.

“As Nigeria deepens its digital transformation, embedding accountability in the digital ecosystem is no longer optional; it is essential,” Ya’u warned. He stressed that anti-corruption efforts must now extend to both offline and online spaces where weak regulation enables new forms of abuse.

The organization also condemned the growing misuse of state power to intimidate online voices critical of governance. “Digital channels remain the most affordable platforms for citizens to express themselves,” CIT