The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged Nigerian journalists to intensify their reporting on exposing corrupt practices and financial crimes across all sectors of the country.

“I urge media practitioners to use their various platforms to fight against corruption and the twin evils of economic and financial crimes in our country,” Mr Olukoyede said. “Current media practitioners should emulate their predecessors and delve into investigative journalism to expose the atrocities and activities of fraudsters who defraud innocent people of their hard-earned money and those who use their positions to siphon public funds.”

Mr Olukoyede, who was represented by Williams Oseghale, an assistant commander of the EFCC and head of public affairs at the commission’s Benin Zonal Directorate, gave the charge in Warri, Delta State, while addressing the 12th Annual Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN). 

In a statement issued by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale on Monday, the anti-graft agency’s chief praised the association for spotlighting the nexus between corruption, governance and the media, stressing that journalists remain vital in the fight against graft.

According to him, the Nigerian media has historically stood as a pillar of patriotism and nationalism, citing the contributions of founding fathers such as Nnamdi Azikiwe and Anthony Enahoro, who used journalism as a weapon against colonialism and social injustice. 

He also recalled the media’s resistance to military rule, which he said was crucial in restoring democracy.

Mr Olukoyede said the media could only be said to have fulfilled its constitutional mandate as the Fourth Estate of the Realm when it holds the government accountable to the people. He added that corruption can be defeated and good governance enthroned if citizens collectively embrace accountability, transparency and due process.

He further appealed to journalists to support the commission by educating the public on the dangers of corruption and highlighting EFCC’s efforts at sanitising Nigeria’s financial system.

In his remarks, ACSPN president, Rotimi Williams Olatunji, described the conference theme as timely, noting that corruption continues to undermine governance, economic development, social justice and public trust in institutions. 

He said the 2025 edition of the conference provided a platform for media practitioners to exchange ideas, address challenges and advance communication scholarship both in Nigeria and globally.