2025 International Anti-Corruption Day: ANEEJ Unveils Weeklong Activities, Calls for Stronger Youth Leadership in the Fight Against Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows
BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA. December 7, 2025 — As the world marks the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December, the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has announced a series of national activities themed “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity.” The organisation is using this year’s commemoration to call for greater youth engagement in combating corruption and illicit financial flows (IFFs), while urging governments at all levels to strengthen accountability systems and deploy recovered assets towards social protection programmes.
Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, stated in a press briefing in Benin City that corruption and IFFs continue to undermine Nigeria’s development prospects, particularly in states where weak oversight mechanisms enable leakages of public funds meant for essential services such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and job creation.
“Illicit financial flows drain billions from our economy every year, robbing young people of opportunities and weakening national development,” Ugolor said. “Nigeria’s youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow—they are the leaders of today. Their innovation, digital skills, and courage are essential tools in exposing corruption, demanding accountability, and ensuring that public resources work for citizens.”
Ugolor emphasized that empowering young people requires more than rhetoric. It calls for strong partnerships between government institutions, civil society, and development partners; protection for whistleblowers; transparent and accountable asset recovery processes; and reforms that close loopholes enabling IFFs and grand corruption.
“Young Nigerians face the harshest consequences of corruption—unemployment, inequity, failing infrastructure, and poor public services,” he added. “By listening to their voices and giving them meaningful platforms to lead, we can build stronger institutions, uphold integrity, and develop a corruption-resilient Nigeria.”
As part of its activities marking the International Anti-Corruption Day, ANEEJ will host a National Public Dialogue on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, at the Rockview (Royale) Hotel, Abuja. The event is expected to convene over 100 youth representatives from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The Honourable Minister of Youth, Mr. Ayodele Olawande Wisdom, will declare the dialogue open. The forum will also feature participation from anti-corruption agencies, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, relevant MDAs, development partners, civil society organisations, academia, and the media.
In addition, ANEEJ will host a nationwide virtual dialogue on 8 December 2025, aimed at mobilising young Nigerians online to share perspectives and solutions. The ongoing digital campaign uses the hashtags:
#Youth4IntegrityNigeria #StopIllicitFinance #IACD2025 #ANEEJ
The commemoration will culminate in a high-level policy dialogue themed “Youth, Integrity, and Illicit Finance: Building a Resilient Nigeria for Tomorrow,” designed to strengthen partnerships and inspire sustained youth-led anti-corruption action across the country.
These activities are organised under two ANEEJ-led programmes: the Nigeria Illicit Finance Resilience Project supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and “Tackling Poverty through Livelihood Support, Advocacy for Social Protection, Climate Justice and Anti-Corruption,” supported by Bread for the World (BftW), Germany
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