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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) during the launch of six assessments on the national implementation of the Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR) in Abuja on Tuesday, disclosed that Nigeria has recovered over $5 billion in assets over the past 25 years.
CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, noted that Nigeria has significantly contributed to asset recovery challenges in Africa and the West African sub-region.
According to him, the government has formed partnerships with other countries in order to ensure a coordinated African endeavour to recover and return assets to the continent. “There is still more work to be done in terms of engaging citizens and civil society,” he said, especially in light of the lack of mechanisms like whistleblower protection channels that would allow citizens to properly disclose corruption-related issues.
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Rafsanjani said while there has been improvement, it is crucial to note that adequate management of these recovered assets is still required, and this has proven to be a significant problem.
He suggested that even though there has been progress, it is important to remember that proper management of seized assets is still necessary. This may be achieved by successfully putting the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022’s provisions into practice. He asked the government to strengthen its interactions with civil society and individuals, enact laws protecting whistleblowers, and implement other measures to protect them.
The Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR) is a milestone in the African Union’s approach to the recovery of assets stolen from the continent. It sets out international, regional, and national recommendations to enhance asset recovery.
Adopted by the African Union in February 2020, CAPAR is a policy framework supporting the recovery and repatriation of African assets illicitly moved to foreign jurisdictions.
