Tinubu Urges ECOWAS to Criminalise Resource Theft in West Africa

 ABUJA, Nigeria – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to classify resource theft — including illegal mining and mineral smuggling — as an international crime.

Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja during the 2025 General Assembly of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), on Tuesday, Tinubu warned that illicit mining fuels instability across the region.

“I believe the time has come for ECOWAS to designate resource theft as an international crime threatening regional stability,” Tinubu said. “Stealing of mineral resources is on the rise, fuelling small arms proliferation, kidnapping, and banditry.”

The President said his administration has prioritised asset tracking and recovery through Nigeria’s anti-corruption strategy. “Two legacy programmes — the Student Loan Scheme and the Consumer Credit Scheme — commenced operations with ₦100 billion recovered by the EFCC,” he said.

Tinubu urged West African leaders to move from rhetoric to action, adding: “We must actualise the founding fathers’ vision for collective prosperity and good governance.”

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Mirian Gom

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Gom Mirian AHR Senior Correspondent, has over 8 years’ experience reporting on health, crime, education, investigations, and development issues across Nigeria and Africa. With dual degrees in Economics, she combines analytical skill with compelling storytelling. Widely recognised for her public health and humanitarian reporting, she earned a Nestlé Award nomination for compelling human-interest journalism. Follow her on Twitter @mirian_linus.

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