By Tunde Oso
The Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), has donated $650,000 grant to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to fight money and terrorism financing in the West Africa sub-region through awareness creation against the scourges.
The funds were provided to the benefiting CSOs between 2024 and 2025 to CSOs. The grants comprised $350,000 in 2024 and $300,000 granted to 12 CSOs in the region “to create massive awareness and advocacy around assets recovery and management” in the member-states.
GIABA was established as a specialised institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in December, 2000 “to strengthen its member-states’ capacity to prevent and control money laundering and terrorist financing in the region.”
It has just concluded a regional workshop in June 24 to 26, 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria, to raise awareness among civil society organisations (CSOs) on the “Requirements for fighting against money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).”
Director-General of GIABA, Edwin W. Harris Jr, while delivering his remarks, said, “This year, 2025, GIABA has already released another $300,000 to 12 CSOs in the region to create massive awareness and advocacy around asset recovery and management in our member-states.
“The immediate outcomes as we are seeing are already encouraging. I therefore urge you all to continue to work harder for a peaceful and economically viable West Africa,” he said.
The DG said the organisation recognises the valuable contribution civil society can make to the decision-making processes hence the partnership, stressing that money laundering and terrorism financing must be nipped in the bud to guarantee the economic prosperity of the sub-region.
He explained that the 2024 grant provided through a competitive bidding process focused on sensitising and mobilising the public to commonly support the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in the North East Nigeria and the Mano River Union (MRU) covering Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Timothy Melaye, Head of Information at GIABA, said the workshop was aimed at deepening engagement with the CSOs in its efforts to stop terrorism financing in West Africa.
“GIABA will continue to engage the CSOs in our work to ensure a safe, sound and resilient region of West Africa,” he said.
The workshop provided opportunity for GIABA to advance the promotion of a relationship with civil society organisations (CSOs) involved in the fight against the scourges.
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