By Dominic Hlordzi
The Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has urged West African leaders to ensure that the region’s architecture for combating money laundering, terrorism financing, and weapons proliferation remains robust, inclusive, and forward-looking.
She said the framework must be capable of addressing emerging threats both within stable jurisdictions and across all of West Africa.
Speaking at the high-level Second Extraordinary GIABA Ministerial Meeting on the future of anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism, and proliferation financing efforts in the region, held in Accra, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that some parts of the ECOWAS sub-region are experiencing political transitions. She said these developments have posed complex governance and security challenges, but have also reignited important conversations about regional cohesion, institutional engagement, and the shared fight against transnational threats.
She explained that illicit financial flows and related crimes often thrive where coordination is weak and institutional presence is fragmented.
“It is in light of this that discussions around deepening engagement with all parts of ECOWAS, including those currently in transition, take on renewed importance,” she stated.
Vice-President Opoku-Agyemang commended the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) for its commitment to ensuring that member states adopt adequate measures against money laundering, terrorism financing, and weapons proliferation, in line with international standards, to safeguard and protect the integrity of West African economies.
“I am confident that we will remain guided by a commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, a recognition of our interdependence, and a belief that every part of West Africa has a role to play in building a secure and prosperous future. Our shared challenges require shared solutions,” she added.
The Director-General of GIABA, Mr. Edwin Harris Junior, said the meeting would deliberate on the possible admission of some Alliance of Sahel States (AES) members into GIABA.
He explained that the agenda was critical for peace, security, and the collective mission of making the region safer.
“We do not consider this meeting as only a gathering to evaluate the merits of admitting Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger into GIABA as non-ECOWAS countries. Rather, it is a means of strengthening our collective efforts against terrorism and other forms of transnational crime that know no borders,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of continued collaboration with AES countries, Mr. Harris Junior said the goal was to enhance intelligence sharing, transaction monitoring, and collective efforts to trace, track, and disrupt terrorist financing.
He also announced that GIABA would mark its Silver Jubilee in 2025, with the main celebration slated for November in Monrovia.
Mr. Harris Junior further proposed that GIABA’s mandate be reviewed to align with current realities and to incorporate other cross-cutting issues.
In his remarks, the ECOWAS Resident Representative to Ghana, Ambassador Mohammed Lawan Gana, said the challenges posed by money laundering and terrorist financing had become increasingly complex due to rapid globalisation and the rise of digital financial transactions.
“These illicit activities threaten the integrity of our financial systems, fund criminal enterprises, and undermine national and international security by enabling acts of violent extremism that claim innocent lives and destabilise our region,” he warned.
Ambassador Gana emphasised the need for political will, public engagement, and effective implementation strategies to support the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) framework, which many countries have committed to under international standards, particularly those of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
“It has become imperative to look inward by addressing the root causes of illicit financial flows, such as weak governance, endemic corruption, and lack of transparency. These are key to strengthening GIABA’s institutional capacity and operational effectiveness as we pursue our shared vision for a secure, integrated, and prosperous West Africa under ECOWAS Vision 2050,” he added.
The Chairman of the GIABA Ministerial Committee and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, described GIABA as a cornerstone institution within ECOWAS and a vital FATF-style regional body.
He said the second round of mutual evaluations had demonstrated strong foundational progress in the region’s anti-financial crime frameworks.
“However, the evolving landscape, marked by cybercrime sophistication, illicit maritime financial flows, and the withdrawal of AES countries from ECOWAS, demands vigilance and adaptive strategies,” he said.
To effectively tackle these emerging threats, Mr. Bangura called for decisive action and a collective resolve.
“We must prioritise enhanced regional cooperation to close gaps in cross-border coordination. Capacity-building is essential to equip national authorities with the tools needed to combat increasingly sophisticated financial crimes. Establishing robust intelligence-sharing mechanisms will also enable real-time collaboration, allowing member states to detect, disrupt, and dismantle criminal networks more efficiently,” he concluded.
