Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on the media and civil society organisations to collaborate with the commission in the fight against corruption, fraud, and economic and financial crimes.

The call was made yesterday at a one-day capacity building workshop organised by the Port Harcourt Directorate of the EFCC, for journalists and CSOs in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

In his address, the acting Director, EFCC, Port Harcourt Directorate, Mr. Hassan Saidu, said the fight against economic and financial crimes is not the sole responsibility of the EFCC or other anti-corruption agencies, but everyone’s responsibility.

He explained that the workshop is part of the commission’s ongoing commitment to strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders, particularly the media and civil society, in the collective war against economic and financial crimes.

According to him, “All over the world, the partnership between anti-corruption agencies and the media and civil society has been instrumental in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance. The collaboration is even more imperative in Niger,,ia given the scale and sophistication of economic crimes we contend with.”

Acknowledging the support media and CSOs have given the commission, the EFFC boss in Port Harcourt said: “Your consistent focus on our work through reporting, advocacy, and public engagement has helped to sustain the momentum of our enforcement and preventive and enforcement efforts.”

Speaking on the workshop topic: ‘Understanding Cryptocurrency Fraud and other Emerging and Prosecuting Financial Crimes, Issues, Challenges and Way Forward’, Saidu noted that the surge of cryptocurrency fraud and other related offences in the country’s cyber ecosphere is becoming alarming.

He said as part of efforts of the anti-graft agency to nip the menace and eradicate such crimes from Nigeria’s cyberspace, there is a need for synergy with relevant stakeholders to tackle the spate of the crimes.

Saidu added that: “We must work together to intensify public sensitisation. Your platforms: print, broadcast, digital, and community-based are essential in equipping Nigerians with the knowledge to make informed decisions and avoid falling prey to scammers.”

In his presentation, Coker Oyegunle, the head of AdvanceFee Fraud, noted that the rise of cryptocurrency and digital finance has reshaped the global financial environment, including Nigeria.

He said: “As one of the fastest-growing crypto markets in Africa, driven by youth adoption, financial inclusion challenges, and interest in alternative investment options, Nigeria faces both opportunities and risks. The same technologies that promote economic empowerment also enable sophisticated fraud schemes and money laundering activities.”

Oyegunle stated that Nigeria must strike a balance between encouraging innovation in digital finance and implementing robust protections to safeguard users and the economy.

“With coordinated efforts from regulators, financial institutions, and the public, the country can reduce vulnerability to cryptocurrency fraud and emerging financial crimes while harnessing the benefits of digital transformation,” Oyegunle added.

Also, in his presentation, Odiase Stephen, head of the Egaland Prosecution Department, Port Harcourt Directorate, stated that economic crimes are a cancerous disease that needs to be treated with caution so it doesn’t affect the entire system.

He urged journalists at the workshop that in exercising their duties, they must “verify properly before publishing, avoid prejudiced coverage, and track how repatriated frauds are used, among others.”

 N642,930,818,157.99 budget proposal to the state House of Assembly, branding it the ‘Budget of Transformation and People Empowerment’.

The proposal allocates 75 per cent of the total budget of N479 billion to capital expenditure and the remaining 25 percent (N163 billion) to recurrent spending.

In his address, Governor Idris thanked the legislators for 31 months of cooperation, crediting their support for tangible improvements in public administration.

He highlighted the timely payment of salaries, the settlement of all pension and gratuity obligations, and the administration’s commitment to maintaining Kebbi’s record of having no outstanding pension liabilities.

The budget outlines major investments in infrastructure, agriculture, and social services.

A N45 billion financing facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB) will fund the Special Agro‑Processing Zones in Argungu and Agricultural Transformation Centres in Kalgo and Zuru, aimed at industrialising the state’s agriculture sector. Over N30 billion is earmarked for security, more than N15 billion for water and electrification projects, and N30 billion for the rehabilitation of the Koko‑Mahuta‑Dabai road to improve transport and logistics.

The health sector received a significant boost, with plans to fully revamp all 30 general hospitals in the state by the first quarter of 2026 and to revitalise 157 primary‑health‑care centres by year‑end. Urban development will see targeted renewal of township roads, drainage, street lighting,  nd beautification across all local government areas.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Usman‑Zuru, assured the governor that the Assembly would deliberate promptly on the proposal and urged swift implementation of the 2025 budget, noting that over 80 percent of it had already been executed and 90 percent of campaign promises fulfilled.

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