The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is developing a Cyber Research Academy to equip young Nigerians with information and communication technology (ICT) and research skills, its Executive Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, has said.
This was disclosed in a release posted on the official X account of the EFCC.
Olukoyede disclosed this on Thursday, September 17, 2026, when he received a delegation of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria (COPSUN), led by its Chairman, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, on a courtesy visit to the EFCC’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
He said the initiative was motivated by the need to discourage young people from engaging in criminal activities and redirect their skills towards productive ventures.
According to him, the academy would provide a platform for developing the capacity of young Nigerians in ICT and research, with universities expected to be incorporated into the structure over time.
“We need to discourage the younger ones from doing the wrong things and let them know the consequences. We need to encourage them to channel their skills to add value to themselves. That is what motivated us into developing a Cyber Research Academy,” Olukoyede said.
He added, “With time, we will incorporate the universities into this structure. The idea is to develop the skills of our younger ones in the area of ICT and research.”
The EFCC chairman also underscored the importance of education to national development, saying a country deprived of a functional education system could not achieve meaningful progress or produce effective leadership.
His remarks followed COPSUN’s call for stronger collaboration between the anti-graft agency and state-owned universities, including the establishment of EFCC institutes within universities to support research, knowledge sharing and anti-corruption education.
Omole said the proposed partnership would enable the Commission to leverage the expertise of university lecturers in research and other areas, while exposing students to the dangers of corruption and cybercrime.
“We appeal that the Commission collaborates with our universities. The Executive Chairman cannot fight corruption alone. The Commission needs the support of our lecturers (experts) in the Universities in areas such as research among others. The opportunities will also be used to train our students against corruption, cybercrimes,” he said.
The COPSUN chairman also commended Olukoyede for his support for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that the scheme had helped prevent some financially constrained students from dropping out of university.
He urged the EFCC chairman to sustain his support for the initiative and called for deeper cooperation between the Commission and state-owned universities.
“We appreciate the EFCC Chairman for the role he has played in NELFUND.
“As university policy makers, we know what NELFUND has done in the lives of some students who ordinarily would have dropped out of school as a result of financial constraint. We continue to encourage the Executive Chairman and his team to support the scheme,” Omole said.
In August 2026, President Bola Tinubu directed that additional funds recovered by the EFCC be diverted to NELFUND to help sustain its growing funding obligations.