Publication Type: Other
Countries: Nigeria
Authors: SOAS-ACE
Publication date: June 2019
Keywords: Finance
How can Nigeria’s watchdog avoid political capture and prevent corruption?
Research Question
The EFCC has been one of the more vocal – and at times controversial – anti-corruption agencies in Africa. We will analyse the political processes that influence its workings and identify feasible ways of insulating it for policy consideration. The second stage of this research studies the evolution of the EFCC, from an organisation focusing on advance fee fraud, to one targeting high profile political corruption (usually at the behest of the ruling party), and recently to a debt collector for large private sector actors. What does this mean for the EFCC in terms of its role as an anti-corruption law enforcement agency?
Key Findings
Initial analysis has assessed how well the EFCC has enforced rules and prosecuted economic and financial crimes by comparing petitions received and investigated against successful convictions, providing an indication of trends. The analysis found that only 3.75% of cases investigated were filed in court, where 23% resulted in convictions. The EFCC achieved higher filing and conviction rates on low- or mid-level crimes than higher level corruption. In the second part of the research we consider if the new turn in its workings is the best use of its competencies with a focus on its recent engagements with publicly traded private companies.
Implications
Currently the EFCC’s effectiveness is compromised, limiting its ability to pursue and achieve prosecutions of high-level cases involving politically connected individuals. Measures to nudge the EFCC in the right direction could include: tenure changes for executive officers and board members; internal skills mapping and training; and steps to streamline overlap with other anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria.
