Buhari prescribes 'stronger institutions' in Africa's corruption fight

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has prescribed strengthening of institutions and collaboration between law enforcement agencies and anti-corruption bodies as effective means of combating corruption in Africa.

Buhari was speaking at the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa after being appointed the champion of the this year’s theme.

The theme of the African Union Summit this year is Winning the fight against corruption: a sustainable path to Africa’s transformation.

Buhari was elected as Nigeria’s president in 2015, having run a campaign of ‘rooting out corruption in Nigeria’ and ‘restoring security in the country’.

‘‘Corruption poses real threats to national security, unity and survival. It deprives young Africans of opportunities to lead meaningful lives,’‘ Buhari told the delegates attending the 30th session of the AU Summit.

Buhari pledged to ensure that the anti-corruption agenda ‘gets the attention it deserves’ and yields ‘the impact we hope for’.

‘‘Strong institutions are a necessary tool for any society that hopes to fight corruption,’‘ the president advised.

Buhari acknowledged the AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) that came into effect in 2006, and said this summit is an opportunity to review how effective the framework has been since it was adopted.

On behalf of the Govt of Nigeria, and on my own behalf, I thank the _AfricanUnion for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving as Champion of this year's theme: "Winning the fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation." https://t.co/VAmzHm9VOH pic.twitter.com/j5lfCqxJ5I

— Muhammadu Buhari (MBuhari) January 28, 2018

The Nigerian president then presented three anti-corruption initiatives that he will be championing this year.

• Organise African Youth Conferences against corruption.
• Mobilise AU member states to implement the AUCPCC
• Advocate for strengthening of the criminal justice system

Buhari concluded by saying the fight against corruption should extend to stopping illicit financial flows from Africa and strengthening asset recovery tools by governments.