BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Abuja
A non-governmental organization, Step Up Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to enact a comprehensive Whistleblower Protection Law to safeguard citizens who expose corruption, misconduct and unethical practices.
The group warned that the absence of a legal framework continues to leave whistleblowers vulnerable to intimidation and retaliation.
The organisation made the call during a media roundtable organised in partnership with the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) as part of activities marking the 2026 World Whistleblower Day Art and Media Competition in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Programmes at Step Up Nigeria, Mrs Feranmi Iyanda, lamented that despite the introduction of a whistleblower policy in 2016, Nigeria was yet to enact a law that guarantees adequate protection for whistleblowers.
According to her, the lack of statutory protection discourages citizens from speaking out against corruption and other forms of wrongdoing.
“Everything we are advocating here is for the law to protect whistleblowers. We want to have a whistleblower protection law in Nigeria.
“There is currently no whistleblower protection law that clearly mandates protections for whistleblowers in Nigeria. Across the African continent, only eight countries have enacted whistleblower protection laws, which shows there is still significant work to be done,” she said.
The media roundtable brought together anti-corruption advocates, media practitioners, civil society organisations, students and young creatives to discuss the role of whistleblowing in promoting transparency, accountability and citizen participation in democratic governance.
Representing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Deputy Director, Civil Society Mobilisation Unit, Mr Suleiman Achile, said the commission had continued to strengthen integrity and accountability among young Nigerians through various programmes.
Speaking through the Deputy Director, Education Department, Dr Babasola Oluwasina, Achile disclosed that the commission had established Anti-Corruption Clubs in secondary schools and Student Anti-Corruption Vanguards in tertiary institutions across the country.
“The ICPC has developed several youth engagement programmes focused on integrity and accountability. At the secondary school level, we have Anti-Corruption Clubs, while in tertiary institutions we have Student Anti-Corruption Vanguards.
“These initiatives are designed to equip young people with the values of honesty, integrity and accountability so they can become responsible citizens and ethical leaders wherever they find themselves,” he said.
He added that the commission was implementing the National Ethics and Integrity Policy as part of efforts to strengthen ethical standards and promote responsible conduct across all sectors of society.
Also speaking, the Communications Manager of Step Up Nigeria, Dr Shekwogaza Kure, said the World Whistleblower Day Art and Media Competition was designed to amplify youth voices and encourage conversations around whistleblower protection, anti-corruption, transparency, accountability and responsible citizenship.
According to him, the competition attracted 172 entries from across the country, comprising 111 male and 61 female participants, reflecting growing interest among young Nigerians in governance and anti-corruption advocacy.
“The competition was created to provide young Nigerians with a platform to use art and media as instruments for social change. It encourages critical conversations around whistleblowing, transparency, accountability and the urgent need for stronger legal protections for whistleblowers in Nigeria,” Kure said.
Winners emerged in categories including skits, music, poetry and spoken word, artwork and digital media, with overall winners receiving cash prizes of N500,000 each and runners-up receiving N200,000 each.
The category winners were Gilbert Owan (Skits), Damilola Akinfolarin (Music), Anita Nwokoji (Poetry and Spoken Word), Moses Sodipo (Artwork) and Oguche Onuche (Digital Media).
Speaking on behalf of the winners, Anita Nwokoji urged Nigerians not to remain silent in the face of corruption and wrongdoing.
“Wrongdoing is wrongdoing, whether it occurs in the workplace, in our communities, in schools, religious institutions or any other environment. People must be willing to speak up whenever they witness corruption or misconduct,” she said.
Participants at the roundtable stressed that corruption was not limited to government institutions but could also thrive in homes, businesses, schools, religious organisations and communities, noting that promoting integrity and accountability requires collective action by all citizens.
The event ended with renewed commitments by civil society organisations, media professionals, youth leaders and anti-corruption advocates to continue championing whistleblower protection reforms and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability across the country.
