The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has urged African nations to adopt strategic diplomacy in their engagements with the global North to effectively combat the challenges of Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and facilitate the repatriation of stolen assets.
Dr. Aliyu made this call during the inaugural meeting of the African Asset Recovery Practitioners’ Forum (AARP-FORUM), which was recently held in Nairobi, Kenya. He currently serves as Chairman of the Forum’s Interim Steering Committee.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Aliyu noted that Africa has endured centuries of economic exploitation—from the transatlantic slave trade through colonialism to the modern scourge of IFFs.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Director, Public Enlightenment and Education/
Spokesperson for the Commission, Demola Bakare.
According to him, a collective African response anchored on strategic diplomacy, stronger legal frameworks, and increased accountability from international financial institutions is needed.
Highlighting specific challenges, the ICPC Chairman pointed to the lack of cooperation from some countries in the global North, especially concerning Mutual Legal Assistance, which continues to impede cross-border asset recovery efforts.
The Chairman also lamented the limited participation of North African countries in the forum, a gap, he said, that weakens the continent’s unified advocacy for policy and legal reforms.
Dr Aliyu noted that another critical concern raised was the issue of re-looting recovered assets, stressing that weak governance structures and inadequate accountability mechanisms in some African states often result in recovered funds being misappropriated, thereby eroding public trust and stalling further recovery efforts.
“To overcome these challenges, we must implement robust oversight mechanisms that ensure transparency and accountability in the management of recovered assets,” he stated. “The success of this forum depends on the unwavering commitment of all stakeholders to confront these issues head-on”, he said.
