The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has commenced a two-day capacity-building workshop for 75 investigative Journalists across print, broadcast and online media to strengthen the fight against Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) in Nigeria.
The workshop is organized under the project, “Strengthening CSOs and Media Capacity to Contribute to the Fight Against Illicit Financial Flows in Nigeria,” with support from the European Union (EU) through the SecFin Africa Project. The initiative aims to enhance transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in combating financial crimes across the Continent.
Speaking at the event, ANEEJ Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor who described IFFs as movements of money that are illegal, hidden,
or improperly recorded, often resulting in financial
loses to governments and Economies said it is a major obstacle to Nigeria’s development. He noted that corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and procurement fraud divert vital public funds away from critical sectors.
“The fight against illicit financial flows is a shared responsibility,” Ugolor said. “Through credible reporting and rigorous investigations, the media can ensure public resources benefit Nigerians.” He also highlighted the weak capacity of many Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to effectively engage with complex money laundering issues.
Prof. Abdullahi Shehu of the SecFin Africa Project stated that the media must move beyond basic news reporting to educate the public on strategies to eradicate IFFs to check the severe human cost of financial crimes.
Corroborating this stance, the CEO of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit—NFIU representated by Aisha Bantam warned that financial leakages destroy social infrastructure. “Every dollar leaving the shores of Nigeria represents a school, hospital or road not built,” she noted, emphasizing that the NFIU is mandated to champion institutional collaboration against these economic threats.
Former EFCC Director of Asset Recovery, Mr. Aliu Yusuf, identified public procurement, tax evasion, trade mis-invoicing and extractive sector leakages as the primary channels for IFFs. He challenged the media to critically appraise Nigeria’s legal and institutional frameworks to block these loopholes.
Sharing practical case studies, Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times and Taiwo Adebayo who urged the participants to disrupt the status quo with their reporting encouraged journalists to leverage public data tools , maximize Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, procurement data, audit reports and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) records for deep investigative reporting.
They also to appealed to ANEEJ to extend the specialized training to other States across the federation.
ANEEJ representative, Innocent Edemhanria expressed optimism that the enhanced capacity of the 75 journalists will ultimately reduce IFFs, boost domestic resource mobilization, and provide civil society with the tools needed for effective prevention and advocacy while participants are hopeful that story ideas will not only hold institutions accountable but enlighten Government and Citizens see its effects.
