Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has urged West African leaders to develop a stronger and more coordinated regional framework to fight illicit financial flows, terrorism financing, and transnational organized crime.
Addressing the 2nd Extraordinary Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) Ministerial Meeting, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang warned that the region’s vulnerabilities, especially in states with weak institutional frameworks could be exploited by criminal networks.
“The illicit flows of money and related crimes often thrive where coordination is weak and institutional presence is fragmented,” she said. “As leaders and stakeholders, our duty is to ensure that our regional architecture for combating the financing of terrorism, money laundering, and weapons remains robust, inclusive, and forward-looking.”
Her comments come amid rising concerns over the financing of extremist groups, particularly in the Sahel region, where instability has created fertile ground for criminal enterprises.
Calling for greater cooperation across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Vice President emphasized the importance of inclusive engagement, especially with parts of the region undergoing political transitions.
“It is in this light that discussions about deepening engagement with all parts of ECOWAS, including those in transition, take on renewed importance,” she noted, in a veiled reference to countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which have experienced coups and security upheavals.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang also called for “principled dialogue” with the Alliance of Sahel States to collectively address transnational threats.
