West African Anti-Corruption Agencies Adopt Abuja Declaration to Strengthen Regional Fight Against Corruption

Published By Ayshatu S Rabo On Jul 22, 2026

West African Anti-Corruption Agencies Adopt Abuja Declaration to Strengthen Regional Fight Against Corruption

The Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) has adopted the Abuja Leadership Declaration, reaffirming the commitment of member institutions to institutional independence, regional cooperation and stronger action against corruption and transnational financial crimes across the West African sub-region.

The declaration was adopted on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at the end of the 2026 NACIWA Mid-Year Leadership Conference held at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja under the theme: “Transformational Leadership for Effective Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa.”

The motion for the adoption of the declaration was moved by the President of NACIWA and Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, and was unanimously endorsed by heads of anti-corruption agencies from the network’s 14 member countries.

In the declaration, member institutions pledged to safeguard their operational independence by resisting political and external interference while promoting integrity, accountability and professionalism in the fight against corruption.

The agencies observed that West Africa continues to face increasingly sophisticated corruption challenges, including illicit financial flows, technology-enabled crimes, cross-border criminal networks and growing institutional trust deficits.

To address these challenges, the declaration identified transformational leadership as a critical factor in strengthening anti-corruption institutions, driving reforms, promoting ethical governance and enhancing public confidence.

Recognising the growing influence of technology, the agencies also committed to the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital tools to improve intelligence gathering, investigations, law enforcement operations and institutional management.

The declaration stressed that the adoption of AI must be guided by sound governance principles, strong data protection measures and appropriate ethical safeguards within each member state’s legal framework.

As part of efforts to deepen institutional capacity, member agencies resolved to strengthen internal accountability systems while fostering organisational cultures anchored on ethics, transparency, innovation and continuous professional development.

The institutions further pledged to promote leadership development, equal opportunities and gender-responsive policies to maximise the contributions of women and other underrepresented groups within anti-corruption agencies.

On regional collaboration, NACIWA members committed to enhancing cross-border cooperation in the prevention, investigation and prosecution of corruption-related offences, while strengthening collaboration on the tracing, recovery, management and return of stolen assets.

The declaration also endorsed the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Guidelines on Borderless Investigation, Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management across member states.

To ensure implementation, participating institutions agreed to develop institution-specific action plans with measurable targets and submit progress reports to the NACIWA Secretariat by October 2026.

In addition, leadership development was adopted as a permanent strategic pillar of NACIWA’s activities, with the Secretariat directed to institutionalise the Leadership Conference as a regular event on the organisation’s annual calendar.

Reaffirming their shared commitment, the heads of anti-corruption institutions from Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone West African countries pledged to continue working together to strengthen national institutions, promote integrity, improve accountability and advance good governance across the region.

The Abuja Leadership Declaration emerged from the two-day conference held from July 21 to 22, 2026, and was signed by representatives of all 14 member anti-corruption institutions, marking a renewed regional commitment to collective action against corruption.