Without reliable data, asset recovery story can’t be told — ANEEJ

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Without reliable data, the story of recovered assets in Nigeria cannot be told with confidence, according to the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ).

The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a stakeholder briefing on peer learning across different jurisdictions regarding data management in asset recovery.

Declaring the briefing open, Ugolor—represented by ANEEJ Deputy Executive Director, Comrade Leo Atakpu—emphasized that recovering an asset is only part of the task, and that reliable data is critical to ensuring accountability.

According to him, key stakeholders—including the courts, citizens, partners, and responsible institutions—need to know what was identified, frozen, seized, or forfeited, as well as where the assets are currently located, how they are being managed, and what ultimately becomes of them.

Ugolor explained that ANEEJ studied how four countries with long-standing experience—the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and the United States—manage asset recovery data, comparing their practices with Nigeria’s framework under the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 (POCA).

While noting that POCA provides Nigeria with a strong legal foundation, Ugolor pointed out that implementation gaps remain. As of April 2026, while some agencies have begun uploading data to the central database, others are still finalizing access, and some have yet to start.

Additionally, the database is not yet publicly accessible via a user-friendly portal, and Nigeria still lacks a single persistent identifier for tracking every asset across agencies, courts, custodians, and the Treasury.

He added that the report remains a work in progress and urged stakeholders to review it and offer corrections prior to publication to help generate actionable recommendations for a transparent system.

Backing ANEEJ’s position, the British Government emphasized that effective asset recovery depends not only on robust laws but also on reliable and transparent data.

Speaking through Jehanzeb Khan, Illicit Finance Adviser at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the British High Commission—represented by Anicestus Atakpu—the UK reaffirmed its commitment to its long-standing partnership with Nigeria in combating corruption and illicit finance.

Similarly, the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria, Cheikh Ousmane Touré—represented by Princess Chifiero, Lead for the Anti-Corruption Portfolio—praised ANEEJ’s consistency and noted that Nigeria remains a leading nation in asset recovery.

Chifiero highlighted key achievements, including the launch of a national database of forfeited assets in May last year and Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October.

However, she cautioned that recovery is only half the job.

“What was recovered? Where is it now? Is it worth it today? And what is it being used for?

“Until you can answer those questions from reliable records, public confidence will continue to stay fragile,” Chifiero said, citing Articles 31 and 57 of the UN Convention Against Corruption.

She pledged continued UNODC support through its Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative, in partnership with the World Bank and the GlobE Network.

Supporting calls for a tamper-proof system, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Lami Adamu Bello,—represented by Dr. Amina Sa’idu Dauda, Senior Investigation Officer and Head of the POCA Unit—stated that asset recovery is central to fighting human trafficking, noting that every asset recovered represents justice restored.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu—represented by DC Ibrahim M. Musa, Head of the POCA Unit at the Force Criminal Investigation Department—described asset recovery as a complex issue surrounded by public mistrust, welcoming civil society engagement to build stronger institutions.

Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)—represented by Dr. Fatima Kere Ahmed, Director of POCA at the Bureau, stressed that recovery extends beyond tracing and seizure to proper documentation and preservation of asset value.

He called for harmonized data management standards across board.

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, represented by Adamu Baba, Head of the Asset Disposal Branch, noted that asset recovery marks the start of a responsibility to preserve value, pointing to ongoing challenges such as fragmented records, inconsistent reporting, and limited tracking following forfeiture.

Concluding the goodwill messages, Uchenna Arisukwu, Civil Society Adviser at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) headquarters, highlighted that asset management is just as critical as recovery to prevent re-looting.

He noted that Nigeria’s OGP National Action Plan 4 commits to asset recovery processes led by the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Stakeholders unanimously agreed that an interconnected and accountable system—featuring common asset identifiers, documented decisions, and transparent reporting—is essential to ensuring every recovered asset remains traceable and fully accounted for.