Civil Society Launches EU-Funded Project to Strengthen Asset Recovery and Fight Illicit Financial Flows in West Africa
Civil society organisations and anti-corruption stakeholders have launched a new regional initiative aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and asset recovery in West Africa amid growing concerns over the impact of illicit financial flows on national development.
The project, titled “Empowering Civil Society for Transparent and Inclusive Asset Recovery in West Africa,” was officially launched at Airport West Hotel in Accra on March 10, 2026, by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) in partnership with the Centre for International Financial Accountability and Reform (CIFAR), with funding support from the European Union under the SecFin Africa programme.
The one-and-a-half-year initiative will be implemented across Ghana, Gambia and Benin to empower civil society organisations to play a stronger role in promoting transparent and inclusive asset recovery processes while addressing illicit financial flows (IFFs) in the region.
Awareness key to tackling corruption
Speaking at the launch, Head of Legal and Prosecution at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Leo Anthony Siamah, stressed that fighting corruption requires more than investigations and prosecutions.
According to him, public education and awareness are critical tools in addressing corruption and ensuring effective asset recovery.
“We have moved beyond the approach where investigations were only about arresting and prosecuting offenders,” Siamah said.
“Investigations, prosecutions and convictions alone are not enough. Education and awareness creation are fundamental principles in championing asset recovery and the fight against corruption.”
He noted that many people unknowingly engage in corrupt practices due to lack of awareness about laws and procedures.
“If we do not educate the public and create awareness, some people will not even realise that what they are doing is wrong,” he said, assuring that EOCO would continue to support initiatives aimed at strengthening public awareness in the fight against corruption.
OSP backs initiative
A representative of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Charles Owusu Sekyere, reaffirmed the office’s commitment to tackling corruption-related offences and ensuring that individuals who acquire wealth through corrupt means do not benefit from them.
He emphasised that corruption deprives governments of critical resources needed to deliver public services.
“Our job is to ensure that corruption does not become lucrative as some people think,” Sekyere said. “Public officials who use dubious means to acquire wealth at the expense of the state must face prosecution and must not enjoy those proceeds.”
He pledged the support of the OSP for the project and similar initiatives aimed at promoting accountability and transparency.
Civil society pushes reforms
In an interview on the sidelines of the launch, Logistics and Procurement Officer for IFF and Asset Recovery at ASEPA, Isaac Anyane-Asare, described illicit financial flows as a longstanding challenge that continues to undermine economic development across the region.
He warned that the volume of financial resources leaving the continent through illicit channels remains deeply concerning.
“When you examine the figures since the 1980s, the amount of money leaving our countries through illicit financial flows sometimes exceeds what we even seek in financial support from institutions like the IMF,” he said.
According to him, the project seeks to promote reforms, strengthen institutional collaboration and increase public awareness about the impact of illicit financial flows.
“We want to create awareness across the entire population so that citizens understand how these activities affect the economy and national development,” he said.
Anyane-Asare added that collaboration with government institutions, civil society organisations and citizens will be critical to achieving the project’s objectives.
Activists demand stronger accountability
Delivering a solidarity message, civil society activist Dramani Selorm Nudokpo Dzramado of Arise Ghana called for stronger accountability mechanisms to address corruption.
He said the diversion of public funds into private pockets undermines national development and denies citizens access to essential services.
“When money meant for public projects ends up in private pockets, it robs citizens of development and opportunity,” he said.
Dzramado urged investigative institutions to take decisive action against corruption and ensure that offenders face the full rigours of the law regardless of their political status.
Media and civil society role
Also delivering a solidarity message, the Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana, Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor, underscored the critical role of the media and civil society in exposing corruption and promoting transparency in governance.
He noted that illicit financial flows and corruption continue to drain critical resources needed for national development across many African countries.
“Illicit financial flows remain one of the greatest threats to economic justice and sustainable development in Africa,” Dr. Wemakor said.
“Civil society, the media and citizens must therefore work together with state institutions to expose corruption, strengthen accountability systems and ensure that stolen public assets are recovered and redirected to support national development and the well-being of our people.”
Dr. Wemakor further pledged the commitment of Human Rights Reporters Ghana to support the initiative by amplifying public awareness, promoting investigative reporting and collaborating with stakeholders working to combat corruption and illicit financial flows across West Africa.
Regional effort against illicit financial flows
Organisers say the project will focus on building the capacity of civil society organisations, promoting policy reforms and encouraging citizen participation in monitoring asset recovery processes.
By strengthening collaboration among civil society groups, investigative agencies and the media, the initiative aims to ensure that stolen public assets are recovered and returned to support development across West Africa.