Abuja, Nigeria – March 11, 2025: U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Richard M. Mills Jr., actively reinforced the strong partnership between the U.S. government and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Furthermore, this collaboration aims to enhance accountability and combat financial crimes effectively.
He highlighted their collaboration as vital in combating economic crimes, corruption, and related offenses, ensuring mutual progress and security.
During a visit to the EFCC’s Abuja headquarters on Tuesday, Ambassador Mills, accompanied by a U.S. delegation, met with EFCC Chairman Mr. Ola Olukoyede.
They discussed shared goals and explored ways to deepen cooperation.
The ambassador expressed appreciation for the long-standing relationship, acknowledging U.S. support for the EFCC since its establishment.
Ambassador Mills stated, “I’m here to understand the Chairman’s priorities, key trends in financial crimes, and how the U.S. can assist through information sharing, expertise, or case collaboration.
” He highlighted the shared stakes in tackling corruption and financial crimes, which impact both nations’ economic stability and security.
“These issues affect our goals of creating a secure, prosperous Nigeria and stronger economies for Nigerians and Americans,” he added.
Ambassador Mills underscored the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting the EFCC’s efforts in critical areas such as anti-corruption, counter-terrorism, and anti-money laundering.
“This office is at the epicenter of combating corruption, financial terrorism, counter-terrorism, and money laundering—high priorities for the U.S. government and this Mission,” he remarked.
He also commended the EFCC’s ongoing collaboration with various U.S. Mission offices, including its economic team, which closely monitors issues like anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.
Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation
In his response, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership between the U.S. and Nigeria in addressing financial crimes.
He described the relationship as one marked by “strong synergy and mutually beneficial collaboration” and emphasized his commitment to taking this cooperation to greater heights.
“The relationship between the United States of America and Nigeria in relation to the fight against financial crimes dates back many years.
It has been mutually beneficial, and we hope to strengthen it further,” Olukoyede said.
The EFCC chairman outlined his vision for bolstering the agency’s capacity to combat economic crimes effectively.
He stressed the need for enhanced support from the U.S., particularly in areas such as technology, intelligence gathering, information sharing, and human capital development.
“Most of the work we do is intelligence-driven,” Olukoyede explained.
“When we talk about intelligence, we are also talking about technology.
We need your support in that area as well as in capacity building, collaboration, and timely responses to our requests.”
Tackling Visa Fraud and Immigration Challenges
Olukoyede also highlighted recent measures taken by the EFCC to address visa fraud and immigration-related crimes—issues that have posed persistent challenges for foreign missions operating in Nigeria.
He noted the establishment of a dedicated Visa Application and Immigration Fraud Section within the EFCC in 2024, with desks across its zonal offices nationwide.
“This section operates 48 hours a day to tackle visa racketeering and immigration fraud,” he revealed.
“We’ve already achieved notable results but require further support in terms of information exchange, intelligence sharing, and technological tools.
The Nigerian government is eager to collaborate more with the U.S. government to address these challenges for our mutual benefit.”
Both leaders expressed optimism about deepening bilateral cooperation in combating financial crimes and corruption.
Ambassador Mills reaffirmed the U.S.’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts while acknowledging the critical role of the EFCC in safeguarding economic stability.
For his part, Olukoyede reiterated his agency’s dedication to fulfilling its mandate of preventing, investigating, prosecuting, and recovering assets tied to economic crimes.
He expressed hope that the strengthened partnership with the U.S. would yield even greater results in achieving these objectives.
As the meeting concluded, both parties pledged continued collaboration to ensure a secure financial environment that promotes prosperity for citizens of both nations.
