By Julius Peter, Abuja
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Dr. Basilia Igbokwe, has received the 2026 Pillars of Integrity in Public Service Award in recognition of her leadership and the institution’s commitment to integrity, transparency, accountability and professionalism.
The award was presented to Igbokwe at a ceremony organised by Verbatim Magazine on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The recognition was conferred on the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, as part of Verbatim Magazine’s recognition of institutions identified among the top 100 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) featured in the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) 2025.
The award underscores the institution’s reported commitment to promoting ethical standards, institutional accountability, compliance and professionalism in the management of its academic and administrative affairs.
Speaking with journalists shortly after receiving the award, Igbokwe expressed appreciation for the recognition, describing it as a consolidation of the values and principles for which the Federal Polytechnic Nekede stands.
She said the honour was not merely a celebration of past achievements but also a call for the institution and its management to intensify efforts toward strengthening ethical governance and improving the quality of education and services provided to students and other stakeholders.
“We stand for integrity, transparency and accountability,” she said.
According to the Rector, the recognition would serve as a wake-up call for the management to do more for the institution and humanity, stressing that the award would further encourage her administration to remain committed to its reform agenda.
She said her priority was to leave behind a polytechnic that would be academically excellent, financially disciplined, technologically advanced, ethically governed and nationally respected.
“My priority is to leave behind a polytechnic that is academically excellent, financially disciplined, technologically advanced, ethically governed and nationally respected,” Igbokwe said.
The Rector also highlighted reforms, innovations and strategic initiatives undertaken by her administration, saying they had contributed to repositioning the institution and strengthening its standing within Nigeria’s polytechnic education system.
She pledged to continue supporting initiatives aimed at improving academic standards, institutional governance, financial discipline, technological development and ethical practices across the polytechnic.
“I have brought reforms, innovation and strategic initiatives that have repositioned the institution as one of Nigeria’s leading polytechnics. I will continue to do my best and make sure this school moves forward,” she said.
Igbokwe said the award should not be viewed as an indication that the institution had reached its destination, but rather as encouragement to sustain and improve upon existing standards.
“It’s a recognition, and we don’t look at it as something to just relax. We will not rest on our oars. We’ll continue to forge forward and become even better and stronger,” she added.
The Verbatim Pillars of Integrity in Public Service Award 2026 was based on editorial profiling derived from the ICPC Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard 2025, according to the organisers.
The recognition places emphasis on the importance of ethical leadership and institutional compliance in Nigeria’s public sector, particularly at a time when government institutions are increasingly being encouraged to strengthen transparency, accountability and responsible management of public resources.
For the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, the award provides further recognition of its stated commitment to institutional integrity, compliance and professionalism under the leadership of Igbokwe.
The institution, located in Owerri, Imo State, is one of Nigeria’s established federal polytechnics and has continued to play a role in technical and vocational education, skills development and manpower training.
The award ceremony brought together stakeholders and representatives from public institutions recognised for their performance and commitment to ethical standards, providing an avenue to highlight institutions considered to have demonstrated positive practices in public service.
For Igbokwe, however, the recognition represents not only an honour but also a responsibility to sustain the reforms and institutional values that earned the polytechnic the recognition.
She reaffirmed her administration’s determination to continue pursuing initiatives that would strengthen the institution’s academic excellence, accountability mechanisms, technological capacity and ethical governance, while positioning the Federal Polytechnic Nekede for greater national recognition.
