Nigeria has been picked to host the 8th regional conference of anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth Africa in 2018, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said on Thursday that the decision was taken at the 7th edition of the conference held in Malawi on June 2.
In addition, the EFCC Acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, has been appointed vice chairman of the executive committee of the association.
These are some of the outcomes of five days of intense deliberation by the anti-graft chiefs, Uwujaren said.
According to him, the conference featured a review of the progress of anti-corruption campaigns in African member states of the commonwealth.
In a communiqué, the participants emphasised the need for “a platform for sharing emerging practices and country innovation in the fight against corruption to enhance good governance.”
They also urged the agencies to create a platform for intelligence and data sharing for effective asset recovery.
The agencies were also encouraged to continue with benchmarking visits to maintain learning and sharing of ideas and experience.
The conference further stressed the need for members to expand the network with other sectors, including the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption, civil society, media and the private sector to enhance the anti-corruption war.
Other issues that engaged the attention of participants included the need for the agencies to deepen innovation for prevention education and investigation in the fight against corruption.
They were urged to consider implementing “Whistle blower legislation for effective protection of whistleblowers”.
Furthermore, the conference called on member countries to continue to support the anti-corruption agencies with adequate funding and capacity development for effective performance.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there are 19 African countries in the Commonwealth, which is an intergovernmental organisation of 52 member states that are mostly former colonies of Britain. (NAN)
ARU/YAZ