From: Femi Mustapha
The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) launched a two-day workshop in Abuja on Monday to strengthen the capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to combat Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs). Stakeholders warned that Nigeria has lost over $77.7 billion to this issue in the last decade.
The workshop, titled “Strengthening CSOs and Media Capacity to Contribute to the Fight Against Illicit Financial Flows in Nigeria,” includes participants from CSOs, SecFin Africa, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML).
On behalf of ANEEJ’s Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor, Deputy Executive Director Leo Atakpu welcomed participants and explained that the training is part of the project “Strengthening CSOs and Media Capacity to Contribute to the Fight Against IFFs in Nigeria.” While the larger initiative involves media engagement, this workshop primarily targets civil society actors d, given their crucial roles in ensuring public accountability, citizen mobilization, budget oversight, procurement monitoring, tax justice advocacy, and anti-corruption work.
Atakpu said the workshop aims to increase CSOs’ understanding of the causes, patterns, and impacts of IFFs in Nigeria. It will also enhance knowledge of the legal, policy, and institutional frameworks for combating corruption, money laundering, tax evasion, procurement fraud, and asset recovery.
Most importantly, he stated, participants will learn practical tools for evidence-based advocacy, oversight of public procurement, access to the Freedom of Information Act, working with public data, coalition-building, and engaging effectively with relevant institutions. He urged attendees to make the most of this opportunity, ask questions, share their experiences, and think beyond the workshop’s scope.
In his goodwill message, Prof. Abdullahi Shehu, representing SecFin Africa, highlighted Nigeria’s importance to the project, given its size and impact on the continent. He commended ANEEJ for its excellent study on IFFs in Nigeria, supported by SecFin Africa, which offers valuable information and tools for CSOs to interact with the government and promote better governance.
Prof. Shehu encouraged participants to ask questions about Nigeria’s governance, engage with elected officials, register to vote, and obtain voter cards to select their leaders rather than complain. He challenged CSOs to monitor government activities, write articles, and pursue accountability, assuring SecFin Africa’s ongoing support for ANEEJ.
NFIU Director/CEO Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, represented by Chief Governance, Risk, and Compliance Officer Mr. Ibrahim Muhammed, praised ANEEJ for organizing the workshop and acknowledged EU support to NFIU and EFCC in fighting IFFs. She emphasized that IFFs go beyond financial crimes and are often misunderstood, despite existing data, underscoring Nigeria’s key role in addressing this challenge.
“Nigeria has a role to play to stop the money from going out so that it can be used to develop the country,” she said, also noting that illicit funds move not just through banks but also through NGOs. “The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit values constructive engagement with stakeholders and remains committed to promoting a financial system that is resilient, transparent, and resistant to abuse by criminals and other illicit actors,” she added.
Furthermore, EFCC’s SCUML Director, Mr. Harry Erin, represented by Mr. Pascal Samu, praised ANEEJ and detailed SCUML’s mandate. He explained that IFFs resulting from corruption, criminal proceeds, and tax evasion hinder development by diverting and stealing funds abroad, significantly impacting Africa.
He disclosed that Nigeria has lost over $77.7 billion over ten years, approximately $18 billion annually, due to IFFs. Erin noted that SCUML is effectively implementing the Beneficial Ownership Transparency regime across all business processes, a key step toward reducing IFFs. He congratulated ANEEJ and committed SCUML’s support in implementing the workshop’s outcomes.
The workshop continues on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, with participants expected to develop action plans for advocacy, data use, and coalition building to fight IFFs in Nigeria.
