Integrity key to sustainable development in West Africa, says Olukoyede
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and President of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), Ola Olukoyede, has said integrity remains indispensable to achieving sustainable development across West Africa.
Olukoyede made the remark on Tuesday while declaring open a two-day Leadership Conference for Heads of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja. He said the region’s aspirations for economic integration, democratic governance, peace and sustainable development could not be realised without integrity in public institutions.
He noted that corruption has become increasingly transnational, with illicit financial flows moving across jurisdictions within seconds, while digital platforms and emerging technologies have created new opportunities for fraud and financial crimes. He added that although artificial intelligence offers significant opportunities for intelligence gathering and institutional efficiency, it also raises concerns about governance, ethics, accountability and data integrity.
“Our institutions must be built to outlive us. They must have clear systems, credible governance arrangements, professional personnel, reliable technology, institutional memory and cultures that preserve integrity across successive leadership transitions,” Olukoyede said.
He explained that the conference was designed to strengthen leadership development, institutional capacity and collaboration among anti-corruption agencies across the region, stressing that strategic leadership was essential to tackling increasingly complex financial crimes.
Delivering the NACIWA Distinguished Leadership Lecture, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said West Africa was at a defining moment where citizens were demanding accountable governments, transparent economies and credible public institutions.
Fagbemi said effective anti-corruption efforts require courageous and visionary leadership capable of strengthening institutions and upholding the rule of law without fear or favour. He also warned that public office must not be used for self-enrichment, insisting that public officials must remain accountable for the management of public resources.
The conference attracted heads of anti-corruption agencies and institutions from several West African countries, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Togo, The Gambia and Senegal. It is expected to produce the Abuja Leadership Declaration, outlining shared leadership standards, institutional priorities and collaborative actions to strengthen anti-corruption efforts across the sub-region.
