| Summary: | Nigeria is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Since it regained democratic status in 1999, successive governments have made several attempts to ameliorate corruption. One such attempt is the establishment of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in 2000. This study examined the manner in which the ICPC conceptualises corruption, including its forms and consequences. It also examined what measures it proposes to combat corruption. The ICPC’s approach to corruption is evaluated in relation to the way corruption is understood in scholarly literature, especially within the education sector. The rationale for the study is that the potential effectiveness of anti-corruption activities is based, in part, on the appropriacy of the understanding of corruption that informs such activities. To carry out this study, the annual reports of the ICPC for the period from 2009 to 2013 were analysed. These documents describe all the activities of the Commission for these years. A rigorous textual analysis was conducted, focusing on descriptions of activities of the Commission that applied across sectors, as well as descriptions of activities related to education, specifically. The strongest conclusion reached is that the approach of the ICPC could potentially be strengthened considerably if it were to be informed by engagement with scholarship relating to corruption. However, this engagement is itself subject to political will. Where there is no such engagement, or where political will is not strong, it is unlikely that the strategies that are adopted would be effective.
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