The Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on Tuesday warned public office holders against using their positions for personal enrichment, insisting that accountability and integrity must remain the bedrock of governance across West Africa.
Mr Fagbemi gave the warning while delivering the NACIWA Distinguished Leadership Lecture at the opening of a two-day Leadership Conference for Heads of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa, organised by the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa, NACIWA, at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja.
He said those entrusted with managing public resources must always be prepared to account for how such resources are utilised, stressing that public office is a sacred trust rather than an avenue for personal gain.
“Public office is not a licence for self-enrichment. Those entrusted with public resources must always be prepared to account for how those resources are managed,” Mr Fagbemi said.
The minister said West Africa was at a defining moment in its democratic evolution, with citizens increasingly demanding accountable governments, transparent economies and institutions worthy of public confidence.
According to him, achieving those aspirations requires more than strong legal frameworks or statutory mandates, but visionary leadership committed to upholding the rule of law and strengthening institutional independence.
“Protecting public trust and ensuring that those entrusted with public resources remain accountable requires more than robust legal frameworks or institutional mandates. It demands courageous, visionary and transformational leadership,” he said.
Mr Fagbemi added that leaders must be prepared to enforce the rule of law without fear or favour while leaving behind institutions that are stronger than the individuals who lead them.
“The difference between an institution that merely occupies space and one that changes the trajectory of a nation is almost always leadership,” he said.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to combating corruption through strong institutions and faithful implementation of existing laws, noting that the Federal Government remained resolute in promoting transparency and accountability in public service.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and President of NACIWA, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, called for stronger regional collaboration to combat increasingly sophisticated and transnational corruption.
Mr Olukoyede said advances in digital technology and Artificial Intelligence had created both opportunities and new risks, enabling criminal networks to perpetrate fraud and move illicit financial flows across jurisdictions with unprecedented speed.
He urged anti-corruption agencies across West Africa to strengthen institutional capacity, embrace technological innovation and deepen cross-border cooperation to effectively respond to evolving financial crimes.
The EFCC chairman also stressed that sustainable anti-corruption efforts depend on strong institutions with credible governance structures, professional personnel and leadership committed to integrity.
The conference attracted heads of anti-corruption agencies and institutions from across West Africa, including the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Dr. Abdullahi Bello, representatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and delegates from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The Gambia, Togo, Cape Verde and other ECOWAS member states.
Participants are expected to deliberate on institutional independence, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, intelligence-led investigations, cross-border cooperation, asset recovery, judicial partnerships and governance reforms.
The maiden NACIWA leadership conference is expected to culminate in the adoption of the Abuja Leadership Declaration, outlining shared leadership standards and collaborative actions aimed at strengthening anti-corruption institutions and promoting integrity across West Africa.
