Africa losing billions to corruption, recovering only fraction — Kenyan envoy

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — African nations are losing billions of dollars each year to corruption, with only a small portion of the stolen assets ever being recovered, Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Isaac Keen Parashina, said on Tuesday. He urged stronger continental cooperation to track and recover illicit funds.

Parashina made the remarks during the first International Diplomatic Dialogue hosted by the Anti‑Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) in Abuja. The event, themed “Experience Sharing in Anti‑Corruption Strategy: The Kenyan Perspective,” brought together Nigerian and Kenyan anti‑corruption officials, diplomats and policy experts.

He stressed that no single country can effectively combat corruption alone and called for coordinated action among African states. “Billions are stolen, yet only a fraction of those funds is recovered. This demonstrates the need for stronger international cooperation in tracking, tracing and recovering illicit assets,” he said.

Parashina added that Africa must strengthen regulatory frameworks and institutional capacity while improving cross‑border collaboration to address corruption more effectively. He also urged deeper cooperation between Nigeria and Kenya through agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, emphasizing that shared intelligence and joint action are essential to tackling increasingly sophisticated corruption networks.

“By working collaboratively, we can enhance our technological capacity and improve our ability to address corruption‑related challenges,” he said.

At the same event, ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu said that the issue of immunity for governors does not hinder the agency’s anti‑corruption operations. “As far as I am concerned, the issue of immunity or no immunity is not something that hampers our work. No matter how long it takes, once an investigation has been conducted, there will come a time when a matter can be taken to court,” he said.

Aliyu stressed that corruption is a cross‑border challenge requiring sustained collaboration among countries, stronger institutions and adequate funding for anti‑graft agencies. He added that Nigeria would continue to learn from other countries, including Kenya, to strengthen its anti‑corruption strategies. “We will continue to engage with countries across Africa and beyond in order to learn new instruments, tools and models through which Nigeria’s anti‑corruption institutions can be further strengthened,” he said.

ACAN Provost Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim noted that Kenya was selected for the inaugural edition because of its notable anti‑corruption reforms, including digital governance systems, specialised courts and improved asset recovery mechanisms. He highlighted that Kenya has recovered over $118 million in illicit assets through coordinated institutional efforts.

The dialogue underscored the need for stronger international cooperation, improved accountability systems and enhanced asset recovery efforts to curb corruption across Africa.

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