From Matthew Ogune, Abuja
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, has urged African nations to adopt strategic diplomacy in their engagements with the global North to effectively combat the challenges of Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and facilitate the repatriation of stolen assets.
  
Aliyu made the call during the inaugural meeting of the African Asset Recovery Practitioners’ Forum (AARP-FORUM), which was recently held in Nairobi, Kenya. He is Chairman of the Forum’s Interim Steering Committee.
 
 Speaking at the event, Aliyu noted that Africa had endured centuries of economic exploitation, from the transatlantic slave trade through colonialism to the modern scourge of IFFs.
  
According to him, a collective African response anchored on strategic diplomacy, stronger legal frameworks, and increased accountability from international financial institutions is needed.
  
Highlighting specific challenges, the ICPC chairman pointed to the lack of cooperation from some countries in the global North, especially concerning Mutual Legal Assistance, which had continued to impede cross-border asset recovery efforts.

The Nairobi meeting concluded with a mandate to operationalise the AARP-Forum without delay.  Among the next steps are regional capacity-building workshops co-hosted by the ICPC, the creation of a real-time digital asset tracing platform, and diplomatic engagements with global institutions, including the United Nations, to push for more equitable recovery treaties.