Nigerian Journalists Tasked to Lead Fight Against Illicit Financial Flows as ANEEJ, EU Open Workshop

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Nigerian journalists have been charged to deploy investigative reporting, data analysis, and public-interest storytelling to expose illicit financial flows (IFFs), as the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and the European Union opened a two-day capacity-building workshop for media professionals in Abuja.

The workshop, held from 25th to 26th June 2026, is convened under the project “Strengthening CSOs and Media Capacity to Contribute to the Fight Against Illicit Financial Flows in Nigeria,” supported by the EU through the SecFin Africa Project.

Welcoming journalists, editors, investigative reporters, and civic media actors, ANEEJ Deputy Executive Director Mr. Leo Atakpu, speaking on behalf of Executive Director Rev. David Ugolor, said the media occupies a strategic position in the fight against IFFs because of its power to uncover hidden crimes and hold power accountable.

“Through investigative journalism, data-driven reporting, public interest storytelling and sustained editorial attention, journalists can uncover hidden financial crimes, expose procurement abuses, follow suspicious money trails, interrogate official claims, amplify citizens’ concerns and demand accountability from public and private actors,” Atakpu told participants.

He stressed that while institutions such as the EFCC, ICPC, NFIU, Nigeria Revenue Service, Nigeria Customs Service, and Bureau of Public Procurement have mandates to combat corruption, money laundering, and procurement fraud, institutional action must be complemented by strong public scrutiny and responsible journalism.

Atakpu urged journalists to go beyond routine reporting and to begin asking difficult questions, investigating complex issues, simplifying technical financial information for citizens, and using tools such as the Freedom of Information Act, procurement monitoring, and beneficial ownership reporting.

SecFin Africa Representative Prof. Abdullahi Shehu, in his goodwill message, described journalists as “the voice of society” and the professionals best positioned to take IFF findings to the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

“I envy you a lot. I wish I were a journalist because the journalists get to know about everything. You are invited to all programs, whether international, law-related, or civil society-related. Therefore, you get to know all around what is happening in society, and you are the voice,” Prof. Shehu said.

He charged media professionals to use the two days to understand the nature of IFFs and equip themselves with tools to advocate for prevention and control.

Prof. Shehu warned that IFFs directly affect public resource management, denying Nigerians access to infrastructure, healthcare, and social services, and said the Constitution makes combating corruption a primary responsibility of government.

The Deputy Director of SCUML, Paschal J. Samu, who delivered a keynote address on behalf of the Director of SCUML, said the role of civil society and media journalists is “apt and strategic” because advocacy and accountability complement government efforts. He noted that SCUML is implementing beneficial ownership transparency to curb IFFs, but stressed that media exposure and intelligence sharing remain critical.

In his presentation, Prof. Shehu outlined how Nigerian journalists can identify IFF typologies in their reporting, including trade misinvoicing, tax evasion, profit shifting, public-sector corruption, extractive industry fraud, and money laundering through real estate and shell companies. He said Africa loses about $50 billion annually to IFFs, with Nigeria accounting for about 20% or $10 billion per annum.

For Atakpu, this training is an investment in public accountability. “Facts matter, evidence matters, context matters, and responsible reporting matters,” he said, reminding journalists of their duty to verify claims, protect sources, understand legal risks, and distinguish clearly between allegations, investigations, prosecutions, and convictions.

He told participants that reporting on IFFs is not just financial journalism but also development, governance, and human rights journalism, because when public resources are stolen or laundered, communities lose schools, hospitals, jobs, and security.

Atakpu urged journalists to think practically during the workshop: develop story ideas, investigative leads, and reporting plans that can emerge from the sessions. He said the success of the training will be measured not by attendance or certificates, but by the quality of reporting, investigations, public awareness, and accountability actions that follow.

The Deputy Executive Director thanked the European Union and SecFin Africa for their support of the initiative. He appreciated the resource persons and partner institutions for sharing their expertise to strengthen journalists’ capacity to report on IFFs with depth, accuracy, and courage.

ANEEJ reaffirmed its belief that Nigerian journalists, working alongside civil society and accountability institutions, can make significant progress in reducing IFFs if they remain courageous, professional, and committed as watchdogs and public educators.