Step Up Nigeria Newsletter – Step Up Nigeria

Building bridges to combat corruption through a community of integrity champions, fostering enhanced service delivery in Nigeria…

Hello Stepper! 👋

Across Africa, the movement for integrity is growing, driven by young changemakers who dare to do what is right and citizens who refuse to remain silent in the face of wrongdoing. Over the past few months, we’ve celebrated eight years of impact by taking ethics education to Ghana, strengthening our partnership with the ICPC through a historic launch of Students Anti-Corruption Clubs in 40 private schools in Abuja, and empowering young people to speak up for accountability. From expanding our reach across borders to generating evidence of behavioural change, we’re continuing to build a community of integrity champions. Thank you for being part of this journey. Here are our latest highlights!

GIVING HOPE TO CHILDREN WITH YOUR GIFT: JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

Every child deserves a future where schools are properly equipped, healthcare is accessible, and communities have clean water and essential public services. Yet corruption continues to rob millions of children and families of these opportunities.

At Step Up Nigeria, we’re changing this by building a culture of integrity among children, young people, teachers, women and communities. Your donation will help us take ethics education to more schools, provide learning materials, train teachers and empower citizens to demand accountability and better public services. And here’s even better news: every donation you make will be matched 1:1 by the New Africa Fund, up to $5,000. That means your contribution goes twice as far in supporting the fight against corruption!

DONATE NOW AND DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT: https://bit.ly/SUNNAF

Visit www.stepupnigeria.org to learn more about our work.

RAISING CHANGEMAKERS ACROSS AFRICA:

STEP UP NIGERIA LAUNCHES PROJECT ETHICS IN GHANA

Eight years of experience in ethics education have taken us across borders! We officially launched Project ETHICS – Empowering Tomorrow’s Heroes with Integrity, Citizenship & Service in Ghana, marking an exciting milestone in our mission to raise a generation of ethical leaders across Africa. The initiative, a strategic partnership between Step Up Nigeria and the Republic of Malta, is dedicated to strengthening ethics education and institutionalising values-based learning in Ghanaian schools. Hosted by the High Commissioner of Malta in Ghana, the launch received strong endorsement from Ghana’s Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, who expressed the government’s commitment to introducing Ethics as a subject in the national school curriculum. Speaking at the event, our Director of Programmes, Feranmi Iyanda, emphasised the importance of taking ethics education beyond national borders to build responsible citizens and stronger institutions. This is more than a project launch; it is the beginning of a wider movement for ethical leadership across Africa.

INSTITUTIONALIZING ETHICS EDUCATION IN GHANA: THE FIRST OF MANY

What does integrity mean to a young person, and how do we help them practise it? As part of Project ETHICS, we engaged students at Kotobabi 5 JHS in Accra in an interactive conversation about courage, responsibility and making the right choices, even when it is difficult. Our Director of Programmes, Feranmi Iyanda, and Malta’s Head of Ethics, Roger Tirazona, challenged students to see integrity not just as a set of rules, but as a reflection of who they are. Ghana’s Deputy High Commissioner to Ghana, Andrea De Bono Sant Cassia, further connected the conversation to Sankofa, the Ghanaian philosophy of reclaiming values from the past. The students questioned, shared experiences and reflected on the values that should guide their everyday decisions. This is why we believe in Catch Them Young: lasting change begins when children are equipped to make ethical choices early in life. We look forward to taking these conversations to more schools across Ghana.

STRENGTHENING THE INTEGRITY MOVEMENT: STEP UP NIGERIA PARTNERS WITH ICPC TO INAUGURATE ANTI-CORRUPTION CLUBS IN 40 FCT PRIVATE SCHOOLS

In a significant step towards institutionalising integrity education in schools, Step Up Nigeria joined the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for the historic inauguration of Students Anti-Corruption Clubs in 40 private schools across the FCT. Representing our Director of Programmes, Gina Anthony-Essien reaffirmed our commitment to raising young Nigerians who understand that integrity is not just something we should demand from our leaders, but something we must practise in our everyday lives. Through our continued collaboration with the Commission, we are supporting schools to nurture a generation of students equipped to reject corruption, champion honesty and become ambassadors of positive change in their communities.

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FINDING THEIR VOICES: CONFIDENCE TO SPEAK UP AGAINST CORRUPTION IS GROWING

Young Nigerians are increasingly willing to speak up against wrongdoing, but are they adequately protected when they do? At the launch of the Dirty Deeds Report: An Investigative Report on How Top Nigerian Officials Bought a Piece of America, our Director of Programmes, Feranmi Iyanda, unveiled the winners’ anthology from the 2026 World Whistleblower Day Arts & Media Competition. Reflecting on the competition’s findings, she highlighted a remarkable shift in young people’s willingness and confidence to blow the whistle, rising from 43% before the competition to 85% afterwards. The winning entries demonstrated that young people have powerful stories to tell and are eager to use creative expression to make complex accountability issues accessible to everyday Nigerians. But courage must be matched with protection. We need a robust whistleblower protection law that reflects the willingness of citizens to speak up and safeguards those who expose wrongdoing in the public interest.

EIGHT YEARS OF BUILDING A GENERATION OF INTEGRITY CHAMPIONS!

Sustaining A Culture Of Integrity Advancing Ethics Education In Nigeria’s Schools

Eight years of stories told, young minds inspired, teachers equipped and communities empowered! As Step Up Nigeria marks its eighth anniversary, we celebrate the partners, funders, educators, beneficiaries and our ever-supportive Steppers who have been part of this journey. From reaching thousands of children with ethics education to influencing schools, strengthening institutions and now expanding our work into Ghana, our journey has been one of growth, learning and collective impact. But this is only the beginning. We invite you to celebrate with us as we look back on eight remarkable years of building a community of integrity champions. Watch our anniversary video [HERE] and see how far we’ve come!

MOBILISING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR INTEGRITY AHEAD OF THE 2027 GENERAL ELECTIONS

The road to the 2027 elections starts with informed, responsible and engaged citizens. As part of our Young Voters Integrity Initiative, we recently engaged young people in Okorogbo and Olaniyonu communities in Lagos State, opening conversations about electoral integrity, vote buying and selling, and the power of their participation in shaping Nigeria’s future. Through these community outreaches, we’re equipping young people to understand the electoral process, make informed choices, reject electoral malpractice and hold elected leaders accountable for better service delivery. Our goal is simple: to build a generation of voters who understand that their votes are powerful and that good governance begins with responsible citizenship. As the 2027 elections approach, we’re taking these conversations to more communities and young people across Nigeria.

Thank you for reading this edition of our Newsletter.

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