African countries have been urged to forge a united front in the fight against resource theft and in the recovery of stolen assets, as the inaugural meeting of the African Asset Recovery Practitioners Forum (AARP) kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya.
The three-day event, which began on Tuesday, April 15, brings together anti-corruption agencies, asset recovery institutions, and prosecution bodies from 31 African countries.
Themed “Supporting Efforts of African Union Member States to Effectively Implement the Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR),” the Forum aims to develop a roadmap for addressing illicit financial flows and resource looting across the continent.
Delivering his remarks, the Secretary and CEO of Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Mr. Abdi Mohamud, emphasized the need for African nations to take responsibility and collaborate to recover stolen wealth.
“Though Africa has been a victim of resource theft, we have often enabled the perpetrators. We must collectively change the narrative and fight to get our stolen assets back,” Mohamud said. He criticized the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for listing African countries on its Grey List, while ignoring the role of complicit foreign nations in the resource drain.
Also speaking, Hon. Seynabou Diakhate Ndiaye, Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC), hailed the Forum as a milestone for the continent’s anti-corruption and asset recovery efforts. She described the gathering as a “new dawn” in Africa’s commitment to implementing CAPAR.
Dr. Musa Aliyu, Interim Chairman of the AARP and Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), highlighted the dangers posed by illicit financial flows and underscored the importance of collaborative action in asset recovery.
A key moment of the event was the signing of the AARP Charter — the operational framework for the Forum — by participating agencies. Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and ICPC were among the signatories.
Read Also: Nigeria leads call for strategic diplomacy against illicit financial flows in Africa
International organizations such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Civil Society Forum for Asset Recovery also participated in the Forum, further underscoring its continental and global significance.
The EFCC was represented by Aisha Mohammed, Head of the Commission’s Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit, on behalf of the Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede.
The Forum will conclude on Thursday, April 17, 2025, according to Dele Oyewale, Head, Media & Publicity, EFCC in a statement on Tuesday.
