From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has taken a significant step in enhancing Nigeria’s fight against illicit financial flows and corruption through a new partnership with the Federal Ministry of Justice.
In a statement shared by its Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor, and made available to the media today, ANEEJ said its team, led by Deputy Executive Director Leo Atakpu, paid a strategic engagement visit to the Asset Recovery and Management Unit, ARMU, in Abuja.
The visit was part of ANEEJ’s new FCDO-supported project titled _“Tackling Illicit Financial Flows through Asset Recovery and Management and Countering Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing, and Proliferation Financing in Nigeria.”_
According to the statement, the engagement introduced a 10-month technical support initiative designed to strengthen Nigeria’s asset recovery system.
The initiative will focus on data analysis, monitoring the implementation of the national Asset Recovery Framework, assessing compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidance, and producing evidence-based reports to support policy reforms and advocacy.
Rev. Ugolor said the meeting with the ARMU was productive and provided a platform for both organizations to align on priorities for the next phase of the project.
During discussions, the ARMU highlighted the need for additional technical support to strengthen the management of its Central Database, which is crucial for tracking recovered assets.
In response, ANEEJ reaffirmed its commitment to providing expert assistance through the consultancy component of the FCDO-supported project.
The two sides also explored how quarterly reports from the initiative will be used to inform advocacy and deepen collaboration with the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, and other key stakeholders.
ANEEJ noted that data-driven monitoring will be essential to ensuring that Nigeria’s asset recovery processes are transparent, accountable, and aligned with international best practices.
The anti-corruption organization said the collaboration will also help close gaps in the management of recovered assets, reduce opportunities for misuse, and improve public trust in the system.
Rev. Ugolor expressed appreciation for ARMU’s reception and willingness to work closely with ANEEJ to achieve the project’s objectives.
“We are encouraged by ARMU’s warm reception and commitment to working with ANEEJ to build a stronger, more transparent, and accountable asset recovery system for Nigeria,” he said.
The Executive Director added that the partnership reflects ANEEJ’s broader strategy of using data to support governance reforms.
He emphasized that effective asset recovery and management are key pillars in the fight against corruption, money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing.
“Together, we are turning data into action and strengthening the fight against corruption and illicit financial flows,” Rev. Ugolor stated.
With the 10-month initiative now underway, ANEEJ expects the collaboration to produce concrete recommendations that will help Nigeria implement its Asset Recovery Framework more effectively and meet FATF compliance standards.
