The ICPC and Nigeria's War on Dirty Money: Leading Africa's Response

In order to combat illicit financial flows (IFFs) and recover stolen assets, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), has advocated for a cohesive African approach based on strategic diplomacy.

Dr. Aliyu, who also serves as the chair of the Forum's Interim Steering Committee, stressed the importance of stronger legislative frameworks and concerted diplomatic efforts to enable successful asset recovery during his remarks at the first African Asset Recovery Practitioners' Forum (AARP-FORUM), which was held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Dr. Aliyu emphasized the historical exploitation of Africa, ranging from colonialism and slavery to contemporary financial crimes, and emphasized that the unwillingness of certain global North nations to collaborate on asset recovery, especially with regard to Mutual Legal Assistance, could only be overcome by a united front.

He bemoaned the poor involvement of North African countries and cautioned about the persistent issue of seized funds being embezzled because of inadequate governance in certain African countries. He called for the establishment of accountable and transparent oversight procedures.

Dr. Aliyu praised the AARP-FORUM as a historic endeavor that fosters cooperation, the exchange of best practices, and coordinated asset recovery advocacy. He listed the next steps, which include diplomatic contacts with international organizations like the UN, capacity-building seminars, and a digital asset tracing tool.

The Forum decided to make sure that every money recovered is monitored, examined, and put back into important areas of development, such as infrastructure, health, education, and youth empowerment.

Launched in Arusha, Tanzania, in November 2024, the Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR) is being implemented in a big way with this effort. On the international scene, Nigeria continues to spearhead Africa's anti-corruption initiatives through the ICPC.

"This is a call to action," Dr. Aliyu said in his concluding remarks. Africa needs to take the lead in combating financial crimes, retrieve its wealth, and assert its sovereignty.