Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has called for stronger collaboration to curb trans-border crimes and enhance peace, stability, and economic prosperity of the subregion.
Olukoyede, who is also the President of Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), made the call on Wednesday at the 7th Annual General Assembly of the network in Abuja.
He expressed gratitude to delegates and reaffirmed NACIWA’s role as a unifying platform for regional anticorruption collaboration. 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.”
He stated that the network had proposed its formal recognition as a Technical Commission under ECOWAS Protocol Article 19, which would institutionalise 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 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.”
According to him, the organisation has achieved several key milestones. Among these are enhanced regional visibility and formal recognition by ECOWAS.
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