Odita Sunday 
Illicit Financial Flows Rob Nigeria of Development Funds, Says ICPC Boss
By Odita Sunday
Illicit financial flows continue to deprive Nigeria of resources needed for development, undermining economic growth, weakening governance and worsening the hardship faced by citizens, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has said.
Aliyu spoke on Tuesday while flagging off a three-day combined training workshop on illicit financial flows and money laundering, alongside an Anti-Corruption Leadership Series, at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, Nasarawa State.
The programme is aimed at strengthening the capacity of public officers, civil servants and stakeholders across Ministries, Departments and Agencies to detect, prevent and report corruption, illicit financial flows and money laundering.
The ICPC chairman said the benefits of illicit financial flows accrued largely to a privileged few, while the country bore the consequences through lost revenue and reduced public services.
He said the workshop was designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to identify, deter and report suspicious financial activities and help ensure that Nigeria’s resources were retained and deployed for the benefit of citizens.
Aliyu stressed that the fight against corruption should not depend solely on enforcement, arguing that continuous training and capacity building were equally necessary to prevent corrupt practices.
“Enforcement is only one leg of the fight against corruption. Sustainable anti-corruption requires prevention through knowledge, integrity and leadership,” he said.
“That is why we are investing in the training of public servants and other stakeholders, so they can understand the nature of corruption, illicit financial flows and money laundering, and apply global best practices in their service delivery.”
The ICPC chairman urged participants to take the training seriously and apply the knowledge acquired in their respective organisations.
He charged them to become ambassadors of transparency, accountability and integrity in the public service so that the benefits of good governance could be felt across the country.
Aliyu also reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to repositioning ACAN as a world-class institution for anti-corruption training, research and development.
He said the academy would be transformed into a centre of excellence capable of producing professionals with the skills required to confront emerging corruption challenges in Nigeria and beyond.
As part of the visit, the ICPC chairman conducted an on-site assessment of the academy’s facilities to identify areas requiring urgent upgrade.
He assured that the commission would provide the necessary support, infrastructure and partnerships to enable ACAN meet international standards in anti-corruption training and education.
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