The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has praised the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for prioritising the fight against corruption and illicit financial flows in its Country Programme for Nigeria covering 2026–2030. Speaking in Abuja on 27 March 2026 at the programme’s launch, Olukoyede described corruption as a major threat to national and global development and commended every initiative aimed at dismantling it.
He said the EFCC found the programme’s emphasis on combating corruption and curbing illicit financial flows especially relevant, noting that graft continues to impose heavy economic and social costs on Nigeria. “Sustained action is needed to turn the tide,” he stressed, warning that criminal networks now exploit technology, global financial systems, and governance gaps to move stolen funds across borders at alarming speed.
Olukoyede argued that tackling these threats requires strong national institutions, coordinated responses, and deep international cooperation. He welcomed the UNODC’s ongoing partnership with the EFCC, highlighting that the new Country Programme would strengthen Nigeria’s anti‑corruption framework through capacity development, inter‑agency collaboration, and data‑driven approaches to organised crime.
UNODC noted that Nigeria’s role as Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, projected to reach about 400 million people by 2050, gives it substantial potential to drive positive change in the region. The launch event in Abuja drew high‑level participants from the judiciary, the National Judicial Institute, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigeria Police Force, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, and other key agencies, underscoring broad support for the programme’s anti‑corruption and financial‑crime goals.