By Peter Omopo
Abuja | President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to designate resource theft, illegal mining, and mineral smuggling as international crimes, warning that the illicit trade poses a grave threat to regional peace and stability.
Speaking on Wednesday through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the 2025 Annual General Assembly of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) held at the ECOWAS Secretariat, Abuja, President Tinubu said the time had come for the regional body to take decisive action against the trade in stolen minerals.
“I believe the time has come for ECOWAS to designate resource theft — illegal mining and stealing of minerals in the region — as an international crime that threatens regional stability,” Tinubu said. “We must galvanize global support against the trade in stolen minerals from West Africa.”
The President lamented that illicit financial flows and the plundering of natural resources have become key drivers of insecurity across the sub-region, fueling the proliferation of small arms, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes.
“The stealing of mineral resources is on the rise, and it is directly linked to the growing wave of violent crimes and insecurity,” he warned.
Tinubu stressed that no single country could tackle resource theft or corruption alone, urging stronger regional cooperation through NACIWA as a platform for coordinating anti-corruption efforts across member states.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to asset tracing and recovery, the President said his administration had introduced a new legal framework for the management of recovered assets and had achieved significant success through its anti-corruption agencies.
“Under Nigeria’s anti-corruption strategy, we have prioritized the tracing and recovery of stolen assets,” he noted. “This vision has led to the recovery of huge sums by our agencies.”
He commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), led by Mr. Ola Olukoyede, who also serves as NACIWA President, for its “prolific record” in recovering looted funds and urged other member states to learn from Nigeria’s progress.
Tinubu revealed that part of the recovered funds had been repurposed to support key social impact initiatives, including the Student Loan Scheme and the Consumer Credit Scheme, both of which commenced operations with ₦100 billion in recovered proceeds of crime.
“Through the Student Loan Scheme, many indigent students can now pursue higher education, while the Consumer Credit Scheme enables working Nigerians to access essential assets and ease financial pressure,” he said.
The President called on NACIWA delegates to focus on strengthening anti-money laundering systems, financial intelligence sharing, and accountability in the extractive sector, emphasizing that collective action was vital for progress.
“We must move beyond rhetoric to deliberate measures that actualize the founding vision of ECOWAS — collective prosperity and good governance,” Tinubu stated.
Expressing optimism about the outcome of the conference, President Tinubu said the deliberations would help chart a new path for inclusive growth and regional stability.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering support for ECOWAS and NACIWA, declaring:
“We are stronger together than apart. Defeating corruption and insecurity will improve lives and strengthen the region.”
The President officially declared the 2025 NACIWA General Assembly open.
