ANCE Trains CSOs on Illicit Financial Flows
From May 8 to 15, 2025, ANCE organized two training workshops for civil society organizations (CSOs) and investigative journalists on illicit financial flows and sustainable development in Togo.
These capacity-building workshops for CSOs were organized as part of the implementation of the ACTION+ Asset Recovery Project, funded by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). This event takes place against a backdrop where Africa loses nearly $100 billion annually due to illicit financial flows (IFFs).
According to Dr. Fabrice Kodjo Ebeh, President of ANCE, these capital outflows represent a loss of revenue equivalent to the total amount of official development assistance received on the continent.
“Africa cannot achieve its sustainable development goals without a strong capacity to mobilize its domestic resources. As long as we do not reduce illicit financial flows, we will remain dependent on external debt incurred at very high interest rates,” he stated.
The training covered several modules, including the impact of illicit financial flows (IFFs) on sustainable development; the legal framework for combating IFFs, asset forfeiture, and asset recovery in Togo; the role of oversight bodies in combating IFFs; citizen participation in the fight against IFFs; and IFFs investigation techniques, among others.
Through these workshops, ANCE aims to empower and position CSOs as true drivers of change, capable of influencing public policies related to transparency, accountability, and the fight against IFFs in Togo.
At the conclusion of this workshop, ANCE also advocated for the creation of an illicit asset recovery agency in Togo. The workshop also highlighted the existence of international and regional support mechanisms for the recovery of illicit assets.