From:Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
The Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice ANEEJ Rev David Ugolor has said the recovery of stolen assets is only one step in the long journey toward justice and development, saying the real impact lies in how these assets are effectively utilized to improve lives, reduce poverty, and strengthen trust in governance.
He asserted this in his welcome address during a Validation Meeting of ANEEJ’s Research Report on Assessing the Implementation of Key Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFA Principles in Asset Return and Management in Nigeria held yesterday.
According to him, Nigeria has made significant strides in asset recovery, including landmark repatriations such as$322.5 million Abacha loot in 2017, allocated to social investment programs.
“$311.8 million recovered in 2020, earmarked for key infrastructure projects, additional funds retrieved from corrupt public officials.
He added that the major concern to Nigerians is assessing the level of compliance with GFAR principles in Nigeria’s asset return and management framework.
He surmised that given this, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Nigeria supported and funded his organization to conduct research Research on Assessing the Implementation of Key GFAR Principles in Asset Return and Management in Nigeria.
“This research, therefore, seeks to assess the level of compliance with GFAR principles in Nigeria’s asset return and management framework. Our goal is to provide evidence-based insights that will inform policy reforms and ensure greater public participation in the return, and utilization of recovered assets.”
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