Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has said that Federal Government is intensifying its use of digital-economy initiatives to curb corruption among young Nigerians.

Speaking at the commemoration of the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Day held on Tuesday in Abuja, the AGF said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has deliberately positioned technology, innovation training, and digital-skills development at the heart of its anti-corruption strategy for young people.

The event, organized by Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) domiciled at the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) had the theme: “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”.

Fagbemi, who delivered the keynote address, said the government believes that empowered, skilled and economically engaged youths are less vulnerable to corrupt influences.

According to him, programmes such as the 3 Million Technical Talents Programme (3MTT) and the recently launched Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) are already equipping millions of young Nigerians with ICT and digital-innovation skills, reducing their dependence on patronage systems that fuel corrupt practices.

“A hopeful youth is harder to corrupt; an engaged youth is harder to mislead; and an empowered youth is a powerful force for national transformation,” Fagbemi said.

He explained that by investing in digital literacy, tech entrepreneurship and innovation-driven training, the Tinubu administration aims to create a generation of young Nigerians who are globally competitive and resistant to corruption.

Beyond digital skills, the AGF pointed at several government efforts to expand educational access through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and support youth entrepreneurship via the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) and the iDICE programme, providing funding, training and mentorship for young innovators in tech, entertainment, agriculture and design.

Fagbemi added that the inclusion of young people in governance, through appointments and expanded civic-engagement platforms, was another strategic tool to strengthen integrity and transparency in public life.

He urged stakeholders to deepen efforts to integrate anti-corruption values into school curricula, establish integrity clubs, mentor young leaders, and leverage ICT tools to promote transparency, whistleblowing and public accountability.

Earlier, the Head of TUGAR, Mrs Jane Onwumere said the gathering was especially meaningful because it reflected a shared truth: that tomorrow’s integrity rests significantly in the hands of the youth.

“The theme therefore, is not just a slogan but a call to action and a reminder that young people are not only beneficiaries of good governance, they are co-architects of it.

“Corruption has affected lives and the economy negatively in many ways. One of such is the “japa wave” which has seen young Nigerians leave the country in droves in search of greener pastures. This syndrome has drained the country of resources and human capital. It has in many situations split the family unit, a critical foundation for anti-corruption efforts”, Onwumere, added.

In his speech, the Executive Secretary, NEITI, Hon. Musa Sarkin Adar expressed the agency’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians not only as advocates for accountability but also as active partners in shaping the future of integrity in the extractive industries and beyond.

“At NEITI, we recognize that corruption undermines opportunities for growth, distorts resource governance, and deepens inequality. We also know that a united, informed, and courageous generation can dismantle these barriers.

“This is why NEITI will continue to expand civic education, strengthen our reporting mechanisms, support youth-led innovation, and create more platforms for constructive engagement with young professionals, students, and entrepreneurs”, he added.

The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, has launched TELE-VET, Nigeria’s first Tele-Veterinary Call Centre, marking a groundbreaking milestone set to transform access to expert animal healthcare using mobile technology.

Speaking at the event held at the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Animal Hospital, Oko-Oba, Agege, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, described TELE-VET as a transformative initiative that strengthens animal health systems, improves food safety, and accelerates agricultural innovation across the state and beyond.

She stated that technology continues to redefine global food systems, and Lagos, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, remains committed to deploying digital solutions that enhance efficiency, empower farmers, and safeguard public health. The Commissioner explained that TELE-VET addresses long-standing challenges faced by farmers and pet owners, especially limited access to timely and professional veterinary care.

Ms. Olusanya highlighted that TELE-VET builds on the existing mobile platforms, M-Agric and M-Health, available on MTN and Glo networks, which provide daily expert tips, mentorship, and animal-care guidance. By dialing *20791#, users can subscribe for ₦100/day, ₦300/week, or ₦500/month, gaining instant access to a variety of services, while all active subscribers can access the Call Centre free of charge.

She added that the Call Centre will deliver emergency support, first-aid guidance, disease-prevention information, and livestock and pet care assistance, noting that the platform helps farmers reduce costs, save time, and access expert care without traveling long distances. She emphasized that TELE-VET will also enhance surveillance and early detection of zoonotic diseases, aligning with the One World, One Health framework that integrates human, animal, and environmental health.

The Commissioner further mentioned that TELE-VET sets the stage for future innovations, including livestock and pet health insurance, e-commerce for veterinary products, improved mobility for safe animal transport, and enhanced financing opportunities for farmers, positioning Lagos as a national leader in technology-driven agricultural transformation.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Mr. Emmanuel Audu, commended the initiative as a groundbreaking intervention that will significantly improve service delivery within the State’s veterinary ecosystem. He stressed that TELE-VET responds to the evolving needs of farmers and pet owners who require swift and professional support to enhance productivity and ensure animal well-being.

Mr. Audu noted that the Ministry has invested extensively in strengthening the infrastructure, technical systems, and human resources needed to operate a world-class veterinary call centre. He stated that the service is a strategic investment in Lagos State’s food security architecture, enabling efficient livestock health management and timely response to potential disease outbreaks.

The Permanent Secretary explained that the Call Centre will minimize animal losses, improve farm management practices, and provide timely advisory services to farmers, aligning with the Ministry’s mandate to promote sustainable agricultural practices across all 57 LGAs and LCDAs. He praised the collaboration among veterinary professionals, ICT partners, and technical teams that made the initiative possible.

Mr. Audu reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to continuously upgrading the TELE-VET platform to accommodate innovations that improve efficiency and expand service offerings. He encouraged residents to adopt the platform fully, noting that its success depends on widespread participation.

In his remarks, the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Rasheed Macaulay, stated that the launch of TELE-VET marks a new era in veterinary care delivery in Lagos State. He explained that the platform provides a practical solution to challenges such as limited manpower, delayed emergency response, and difficulties reaching farmers in remote areas by connecting residents directly to certified experts.

Dr. Macaulay added that TELE-VET will strengthen disease surveillance and reporting across the State, aiding early detection of animal diseases and preventing zoonotic infections. With real-time consultations, improved documentation, and faster escalation processes, the platform will support frontline veterinarians and promote safer, healthier food systems for all Lagos residents.

Manufacturers and small businesses are set to benefit from a new era of seamless cross-border payments, thanks to the launch of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System- PAPSS Cowry, a game-changing payment platform.

This cutting-edge platform, backed by Afreximbank, the AU and AfCFTA, and recently launched in Lagos, promises to increase efficiency, reduce costs and boost trade across the continent as it connects 160 banks across 19 countries and positions Africa for a bigger share of its $329 cross-border market.

The platform delivers 120-second local currency settlement, removing USD bottlenecks, cutting FX friction and strengthening the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) driven trade flows.

Mike Ogbalu, CEO of PAPSS, in his keynote address at the platform launch themed ‘Building an Interoperable and Sovereign Africa Payment Ecosystem for Trade and Economic Growth,’ explained that AfCFTA has provided a single market for the continent’s 1.9 billion people that needs a seamless cross-border payment platform to trade.

“We have created it as an ecosystem that will pack all of us together in a way that we are able to empower each other rather than compete,” he said.

“Create a centralised value that everybody can leverage without affecting the individual value proposition of all the entities that leverage this way,” he added.

He stated that the Pan-Africa payment rail has connected 19 countries and plans to expand to 40, adding that 160 leading commercial banks across the continent are connected to the platform.

“We are also now enabling fintech companies across the continent to be able to originate payments in one market and terminate them in another market,” he explained.

“PAPSS is that financial market infrastructure that allows for the processing of cross-border payments in local currencies and is able to do that in no more than 120 seconds,” he added.

He appreciated central banks across the continent for their support, saying that a governance infrastructure has been created to make sure the payment system continues to operate in the right way. He stressed that sovereign payments are critical for the continent’s survival.

Haytham EI Maayerigi, executive vice president – global trade bank, Afreximbank, stressed that African businesses still face real barriers, whose border payments remain slow, expensive, and impossible sometimes, with $5 billion lost yearly to third-currency routing.

He explained that the situation has made it difficult for small businesses to find trusted partners, affordable finance and adequate market information, noting that with AfCFTA advancing, it must be easy for firms to trade with each other.

He said Afrexim, which is a promoter of PAPSS, works daily to remove these obstacles. “Together with AfCTA and the African Union, we are building the institutional foundation of a truly integrated market, supporting a lot of the initiatives.”

“Through advisory, guarantees, certification and project preparation, we mobilise the capital that builds factories, logistic hubs, processing plants, energy systems, the backbone of African industrialisation.”

He stressed that capital alone will not deliver integration and that the African continental trade also needs a digital spine, a system that connects markets, trust, information, logistics, finance and payments.

Experts say Africa requires a better business environment to unleash its potential and drive intra-African trade. The experts noted that the PAPSS Cowry platform will help improve the ease of doing business across the continent.

Wamkele Mene, secretary general, AfCFTA Secretariat, described the platform as a key enabler of AfCFTA, giving its practical effect on the continent’s vision of a fully integrated African market.

“It operationalises financial sovereignty by enabling the seamless flow of funds needed to sustain the world’s largest free trade area, and by reducing the friction that has historically held back intra-Africa trade,” Mene said.

He noted that the continent has 42 currencies, which alone creates structural barriers, saying that when two African traders rely on a third-country currency to trade, the cost of doing business rises sharply.

“Our continent loses an estimated $5billion annually in currency conversion.” PAPSS addresses this bottleneck directly by enabling instant settlement in local currencies and reducing reliance on expensive corresponding banking corridors.”