Abuja, 21 August 2023 - From 2 to 4 August, Nigeria's federal capital hosted a regional training workshop for ECOWAS media professionals on investigative journalism focusing on economic and financial crimes. The event, initiated by the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), not only helped to build the capacity of these players on the issues of money laundering and the financing of terrorism, but also to produce content to raise public awareness and facilitate decision-making through the implementation of regulatory policies.
At the end of the meeting, participants undertook to pool their efforts to raise awareness and educate the public in order to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism. With this in mind, it was decided to reinvigorate the Network of African Journalists for the Fight against Financial Crime (NAJ-AFC). This platform was created on Friday 28 October 2016, at the headquarters of the African Development Bank in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), on the sidelines of the workshop on the fight against corruption and Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) in Africa, and is chaired by Ivorian journalist Joël Nianzou.
To date, the NAJ-AFC has been working to identify and renew focal points in the 54 member countries of the African Union (AU), through consultations to set up a new executive board.
The members of the NAJ-AFC plan to meet as soon as possible at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to define the outlook for the next five years.
Money laundering and the financing of terrorism undermine the region's economies and facilitate corruption. States lack the information and the technical and financial resources to reverse the trend, as the security and health context on the continent in general and in West Africa in particular does not facilitate efforts to combat financial crime and the financing of terrorism.
However, these scourges can be prevented by raising awareness at all levels of society. To achieve this, a strong media alliance must be built with strategic players and development partners.
About GIABA : The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) was established in 2000 by the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It is ECOWAS's contribution to the fight against money laundering. GIABA's mission includes protecting the national economies and financial and banking systems of signatory states against the proceeds of economic crime and combating the financing of terrorism; reinforcing measures and intensifying efforts to combat the proceeds of crime; strengthening cooperation between its members; Combat the laundering of the proceeds of crime and the financing of terrorism; Ensure the harmonised and concerted adoption of appropriate measures to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism; Evaluate, through self-assessment and mutual evaluation in accordance with the FATF procedure, the progress and effectiveness of the measures taken; Encourage other African States to join GIABA.
The Network of African Journalists to Fight Financial Crime (NAJ-AFC) is a group of African journalists. It is a non-profit organisation. Its aim is to combat all forms of financial crime in Africa through journalistic productions designed to prevent the scourge and help governments take decisions. Its headquarters are in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Communication department