President Bola Tinubu has called on West African leaders to classify resource theft, illegal mining, and mineral smuggling as international crimes, citing their threat to regional peace, stability, and development.
Tinubu, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja while opening the Annual General Meeting of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA).
He lamented that despite decades of independence, corruption and the looting of mineral resources continue to undermine the region’s economic and political progress. According to Tinubu, proceeds from such illicit activities fund insecurity, including small arms proliferation, banditry, and kidnapping.
“West Africa’s post-independence economic and political trajectory is blighted by corruption, manifest in the theft and stashing of our commonwealth abroad,” Tinubu said. “The stealing of mineral resources is on the rise, fueling violent crimes across the region. It is time to designate these acts as international crimes.”
The President urged NACIWA delegates to examine extractive sector accountability, financial intelligence sharing, and regional anti-money laundering frameworks to strengthen governance and reduce illicit financial flows.
“No single country can tackle these challenges alone,” Tinubu said. “A multi-state and multi-stakeholder approach is required to harmonize regional anti-corruption efforts.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s efforts, he noted that his administration prioritizes tracing and recovering stolen assets, supported by new legal frameworks. He commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its achievements, noting that recovered funds are being used for social programs, including ₦100 billion injected into the Student Loan and Consumer Credit Schemes.
The call comes amid growing concerns about illegal mining and smuggling in gold-rich countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali, where billions of dollars worth of minerals leave the region annually through unregulated channels.
Also speaking, Justice Minister and Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi urged West African nations to domesticate the ECOWAS Protocol on Corruption to prevent corrupt officials from finding safe havens in the subregion. He proposed establishing a regional task force on asset recovery to coordinate investigations and intelligence sharing.
EFCC Chairman and NACIWA President Ola Olukoyede emphasized that combating corruption must consider political stability, governance challenges, and social justice, noting that strong institutions are essential to sustaining the fight against illicit financial flows in West Africa.
