ECOWAS ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES UNITE AGAINST CROSS-BORDER CORRUPTION

Anti-corruption agencies across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed to strengthen collaboration in combating cross-border corruption, money laundering, and illicit financial flows.

This resolution emerged from a two-day regional workshop that ended on Wednesday in Abuja.

The meeting brought together heads of anti-graft bodies from member countries, including Nigeria’s EFCC and ICPC, to deliberate on strategies for joint action.

In a communique issued at the end of the workshop, the agencies resolved to establish a regional intelligence-sharing platform and harmonise legal frameworks to facilitate seamless investigations and prosecutions.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede stressed the need for collective action, noting that “corruption networks operate without borders, and so must our response.”

Participants identified porous borders, weak coordination, and limited technological capacity as key challenges, and pledged to address them through regular training and technical support.

The initiative is expected to boost asset recovery efforts and reduce the impact of graft on regional development.