President Tinubu charges ECOWAS to Declare resource theft an International Crime

…As Olukoyede  Seeks Stronger  Pact against Trans-border Crimes

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to designate resource theft particularly illegal mining, and mineral smuggling as international crimes, warning that the menace poses a grave threat to the peace, stability, and economic prosperity of the subregion.

The President made the call on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 while declaring open the 7th Annual General Assembly of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa, NACIWA, held at the ECOWAS Secretariat, Asokoro, Abuja. The meeting, themed “A United ECOWAS Against Corruption: Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Asset Recovery and Exchange of Information,” brought together heads of anti-corruption agencies, ECOWAS officials, development partners, and civil society representatives.

The President, who spoke through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,  George Akume,  lamented that despite decades of reforms, illicit financial flows and resource theft continue to undermine regional development. “Even now, illicit outflows remain an odious miasma. Stealing of mineral resources is on the rise in the region, fueling the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and other violent crimes such as kidnapping and banditry. These have exacerbated our security challenges and worsened the development outlook of the region,” he said.

Calling for urgent collective action, the President stressed that resource theft should be classified  as an international crime. “The time has come for ECOWAS to designate resource theft, illegal mining and stealing of minerals as an international crime that threatens the stability of the region, and galvanize the world against trade in stolen minerals from West Africa,” he said.

Tinubu also underscored the importance of regional cooperation in tackling financial crimes and illicit flows. “No country can single-handedly win the battle against illicit flows. It requires collaboration, and NACIWA offers ECOWAS a multi-state and multi-stakeholder platform to harness regional efforts against corruption and its manifestations,” he stated.

Highlighting Nigeria’s strides in anti-corruption, Tinubu noted that under his administration, the country has prioritized asset tracing and recovery, backed by a new legal framework for asset management. “The vision has translated into the recovery of humongous sums by the anti-corruption agencies. One of the agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, under the leadership of Ola Olukoyede, who incidentally is the current President of NACIWA, has been prolific in recovering stolen assets,” he said.

He further explained that his administration ensures that recovered assets are channeled into productive use. “Our commitment is to ensure that recovered stolen assets become enablers of growth and instruments for social inclusion. Two legacy programmes of my administration — the Students Loan Scheme and the Consumer Credit Scheme — commenced operation with the injection of N100 billion in recovered proceeds of crime by the EFCC,” he stated.

Earlier in his welcome address, Executive Chairman of the EFCC and President of NACIWA,  Mr. Ola Olukoyede, expressed gratitude to delegates and reaffirmed NACIWA’s role as a unifying platform for regional anti-corruption collaboration.  He highlighted the network’s achievements since assuming office in 2022, noting that despite challenges, the current executive committee has repositioned NACIWA into a “more dynamic and credible platform for regional collaboration.”

Among the key milestones he listed were, enhanced regional visibility and formal recognition by ECOWAS, institutional strengthening through the establishment of a permanent secretariat in Nigeria, financial operability through standardized membership dues and control mechanisms, deepened partnerships with ECOWAS, UNODC, AU Anti-Corruption Board, and development partners, observer status at the GlobE Network, linking NACIWA to global anti-corruption bodies and the designation of the EFCC Academy as NACIWA’s Centre of Excellence for capacity development.

He also stated that the network had proposed its formal recognition as a Technical Commission under ECOWAS Protocol Article 19, which would institutionalize coordination on investigations, asset recovery, and anti-corruption policies across the subregion.

“We must acknowledge the evolving landscape in which our institutions operate. Political transitions, security concerns, and governance challenges across member states underscore that our fight against corruption cannot be divorced from broader considerations of political stability and social justice,” Olukoyede stated.  He urged members to use the Assembly as “a renewal of vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to combating corruption, which remains a key obstacle to our region’s development and stability.”

In his special remarks, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, lauded the EFCC Chairman’s leadership, describing it as “distinguished and exemplary.” He said, “Let me commend the leadership of EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, who, as NACIWA President, has strengthened the Network not only in integrity but also in transparency and accountability.”

Similarly, Senator Emmanuel Udende, Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, said the event’s theme was timely, given corruption’s role in insecurity and poor governance. “Its trans-border nature demands we go beyond national efforts to embrace strong regional cooperation, intelligence sharing, and joint asset recovery,” he said, pledging the legislature’s support in providing the necessary legal framework for international cooperation.

Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, represented by Nnamdi Ezechukwu, emphasized that “corruption does not respect borders; it moves through our systems, our banks, our pockets, and our politics, that is why our efforts must also transcend borders.”

Also speaking, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, represented by Vice President Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, praised EFCC’s leadership for strengthening NACIWA’s role in fostering regional synergy. “NACIWA has made significant strides in promoting collaboration, though there is a need to further intensify cooperation,” she said.

Other dignitaries at the event included the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission,  ICPC,  Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN); Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS; representatives of UNODC, International IDEA, Code of Conduct Bureau, and civil society organizations.

The event also featured a panel discussion moderated by Yusuf Rafsanjani of CISLAC, with panelists drawn from Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Nigeria, focusing on strategies for strengthening collaboration in asset recovery and information exchange.

The Assembly concluded with a renewed commitment by participants to deepen regional cooperation, harmonize legal frameworks, and advance collective action against corruption and financial crimes in West Africa.