Organisation: Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice(ANEEJ)
Name of Organisation’s Representative: Rev. David Ugolor
Website: www.aneej.org
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Country: Nigeria
Which seat are you nominating for? Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Seat
Profile of Organisation
Since 1997, ANEEJ has championed the call for the stoppage of illicit financial flows from Nigeria and other developing countries to the secrecy jurisdictions in western countries. It has in the same vein championed the campaign for the repatriation of looted assets of Nigeria stashed in Western banks and was active in calling for a UN instrument against corruption, money laundering and illicit financial flows. In April 2016, the UNCAC Coalition Coordination Committee (CCC) approved ANEEJ’s application to become an Ordinary Member of the new Association: UNCAC Coalition.
ANEEJ worked with over 100 civil society organizations while hosting the Secretariat of the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Campaign, Nigeria from 2004-2008 and the Nigerian Network on Stolen Assets. The organisation also coordinated CSOs that were involved in monitoring repatriated Late General Sani Abacha loots under the Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability Review (PEMFAR), a tripartite agreement between the World Bank, Civil Society and Nigerian governments.
ANEEJ facilitated the Nigerian CSOs engagement in the Second Review Cycle of Chapter 11 and V of UNCAC in NIGERIA.
ANEEJ is currently leading a broad coalition of NGOs working on the monitoring of recovered Stolen Assets of Late Sani Abacha, $322.5m from Switzerland through MANTRA Project with support from UKAID/DFID Nigeria.
ANEEJ is involved in the national and international advocacy on Global Forum on Asset Recovery(GFAR) Principles and the monitoring of the UNCAC implementation in Nigeria.
Organisation’s Experience
ANEEJ has been very active in the UNCAC Coalition working group on Asset Recovery activities and during the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) held in December 2017 in Washington DC, USA. At GFAR, ANEEJ was nominated by CSOs to present the global civil society statement to the FORUM and also participated actively in all the civil society preparation of the statement. ANEEJ facilitated the Nigerian civil society preparation and participation in the Second Cycle of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Implementation Review in Nigeria. ANEEJ has also be participating in the Civil society engagement with the Conference of State Party (CoSP) Meetings and also organise side events on the utilisation of recovered assets for Sustainable Development during Abu Dhabi CoSP and participated in UNCAC Coalition side events.
ANEEJ has also serve as a resource institution in UNCAC Coalition and UNODC training of UNCAC Coalition members and Africa Civil Society in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia and ANEEJ also participated in UNCAC Coalition strategy plan and meetings.
Top Three Priorities to Achieve for the Coalition
- UNGASS 2021 on Corruption
- Asset Recovery/ Implementation of GFAR Principles
- Implementation of UNCAC Review Recommendations and CoSP Working Group on Asset Recovery
Profile of Candidate
Rev. David Ugolor – Executive Director
Rev. David Ugolor is the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ). ANEEJ is an NGO based in Benin City promoting good governance and anti-corruption work through research, policy dialogue, education and advocacy. David Ugolor has over two decades working experience on anti-corruption work and also has Master Degrees on Agricultural Economics and the Study of Corruption from the Universities of Benin and Sussex. He has made several paper presentations on corruption, Illicit Financial Flows and Sustainable Development at both local and international workshops, and seminars. David Ugolor has participated as a resource person in several UN meetings and also facilitated civil society engagement on Open Government Partnership and currently serve as the Co-Chair of the Anti-Corruption Working Group of the Open Government Partnership Nigeria. David Ugolor also facilitated the Pre-Global Forum on Asset Recovery consultation in Nigeria and participated in the GFAR panel debate held in December, 2017 in Washington DC.
Publish What You Pay Coalition was established in Nigeria by Rev. David Ugolor and he has also helped to build the capacity of several civil society organisation on corruption and governance issues in the extractive sector. He also leads the civil society advocacy on several national and international anti-corruption initiative which include: The Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI)/ Nigeria EITI and the second cycle review of UNCAC implementation in Nigeria.
Rev. David Ugolor was also nominated by the Federal Government of Nigeria to be part of the delegation to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss Best Practices on Asset Recovery and Management organised by UNODC and the negotiation of the return of $322.5m Abacha Loot from Switzerland to Nigeria.
Rev. David Ugolor is presently coordinating the implementation of Independent CSO Monitoring of $322.5 millions of Abacha loot which will is used for conditional cash transfer programme in Nigeria. The Conditional Cash Transfer Programme is one of the key social investment policies of the Federal Government of Nigeria that is targeting the poor Nigerians and will help address the issue of sustainable development goals in Nigeria.
Link to ANEEJ Executive Director’s profile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBjaejUrJ-4&feature=youtu.be