President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged leaders across West Africa to intensify efforts toward classifying resource theft, illegal mining, and mineral smuggling as international crimes, stressing that these activities pose a serious threat to peace, stability, and development in the region.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during the Annual General Meeting of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), the President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, described the continuous looting of mineral resources as a major factor undermining progress in the subregion.
Tinubu noted that decades after gaining independence, many African countries still struggle to achieve genuine economic growth because corruption and the theft of natural resources continue to erode their development potential.
According to him, “West Africa’s post-independence economic and political trajectory is blighted by corruption, manifest in the theft and stashing of our commonwealth abroad by corrupt officials. Even now, illicit outflows remain an odious miasma. Stealing of mineral resources is on the rise in the region, fuelling the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and other violent crimes such as kidnapping and banditry.”
The President maintained that the time had come for West African nations to join hands in making resource theft and illegal mining international crimes that demand global attention.
“I believe that the time has come for us to designate resource theft, mining, and stealing of minerals in the region as an international crime that threatens the stability of the region and galvanise the world against threats from stolen minerals from West Africa,” Tinubu said.
Okay News reports that the Nigerian leader also called on delegates to critically review existing frameworks on financial intelligence sharing, anti-money laundering, and the extractive sector. He emphasised that strengthening accountability would boost prosperity and security across the subregion.
“I urge you all, in your deliberations, to examine critically the regional anti-money laundering frameworks, financial intelligence sharing mechanism, and accountability in the extractive sector across the region for a more prosperous and secure future,” Tinubu added.
Collaborative Approach Against Corruption
Tinubu stressed that tackling illicit financial flows required cooperation among nations, explaining that no country could win the fight against corruption in isolation. He said his administration’s anti-corruption strategy prioritised tracing and recovery of stolen assets, with a legal framework already introduced to manage recovered properties.
Commending the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led by Olanipekun Olukoyede for its strong record in asset recovery, the President encouraged other West African countries to learn from Nigeria’s experience.
He further stated that recovered funds were being reinvested in initiatives that promote inclusion and development. “₦100 billion recovered from crime proceeds has been channelled into the Student Loan Scheme and Consumer Credit Scheme to improve education access and reduce financial pressure on citizens,” Tinubu revealed.
Nigeria’s Role in Regional Cooperation
The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other regional anti-corruption efforts, emphasising that collaboration remained key to curbing illicit financial flows and strengthening good governance.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, also urged countries to domesticate the ECOWAS Protocol on Corruption to ensure that corrupt officials find no refuge within the subregion.
“Let us domesticate the ECOWAS Protocol on Corruption so that thieves find no hiding place,” Fagbemi said. “The child who says his mother will not sleep will also not sleep. So too, the corrupt who disturb the peace of nations must not find rest across borders.”
Fagbemi recommended the creation of an ECOWAS Regional Task Force on Asset Recovery, supported by NACIWA, to coordinate investigations and promote intelligence sharing among member states. He further highlighted the need to guarantee independence and adequate funding for anti-corruption agencies, warning that underfunded institutions remain susceptible to compromise.
“The goat eats where it is tied. If we starve our institutions, they will be unable to resist corruption,” he added.
Regional Anti-Corruption Perspective
In his remarks, the Chairman of the EFCC and President of NACIWA, Ola Olukoyede, said the fight against corruption in West Africa should be seen as part of the wider effort to sustain political stability and social justice.
“Distinguished colleagues, we must acknowledge the evolving landscape in which our institutions operate. Political transitions, security concerns, and governance challenges across several member states underscore that our fight against corruption cannot be divorced from broader considerations of political stability, institutional integrity, and social justice,” Olukoyede said.
Tinubu’s proposal comes amid growing concern over illegal mining and mineral smuggling in gold-rich West African nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali. Billions of dollars’ worth of minerals reportedly leave the region annually through unregulated channels, depriving governments of critical revenue.
The President’s call aligns with global advocacy pushing for the recognition of environmental and economic crimes as international offences.
