The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs Fatima Mahmood, has reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency.

According to a recent statement by the Deputy Director/Head of Public Relations at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Osagie Edward, Mahmood stated this while declaring open the 6th Peer Review Conference of Chairpersons and Secretaries of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units of Agencies under the Ministry.

The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by the Deputy Director of Special Duties, Mrs Comfort Madichi, described the Lagos conference as a strategic platform for institutional self-assessment, knowledge exchange, and collaborative action to strengthen the fight against corruption across the sector.

In his welcome address, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, represented by the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Mr Chudi Offodile, expressed the agency’s pleasure at hosting the 6th edition of the ACTU Peer Review Conference.

He highlighted the theme, ‘Advancing Ethical Reforms: Institutionalising Integrity and Sustained Ethical Governance’, noting that it underscores the critical role of ACTUs in driving organisational reforms and preventive anti-corruption strategies. According to him, ethical governance must be deliberate and institutionalised through strengthened internal systems, reinforced accountability mechanisms, and the effective deployment of technology to eliminate leakages and enhance service delivery.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), represented by the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Lagos State, Mr Alexander Chukwurah, commended agencies under the ministry for embracing the peer-review framework.