GIABA inaugurates new information center in Abidjan to strengthen fight against financial crime

The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Economy, Finance, and Budget, Adama Coulibaly. This new facility, provided by the Ivorian government in line with the Host Agreement, marks a significant step in regional cooperation to prevent and combat financial crime. The decision to establish GIABA Information Centers, one in Lagos for Anglophone countries and one in Abidjan for Francophone and Lusophone states, was made by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on November 26, 2010.

The Abidjan center initially opened on September 21, 2015, following the signing of the Host Agreement in Yamoussoukro on March 29, 2014. Minister Coulibaly emphasized the infrastructure's importance in combating financial delinquency, noting the increasing sophistication of money laundering and terrorist financing mechanisms. He stressed the need for a coordinated regional response, as no single state can effectively address these challenges alone.

The new center is envisioned as a regional platform for awareness, capacity building, research, documentation, and communication for ECOWAS member states. Edwin W. Harris Jr., Director General of GIABA, highlighted the center's past role in engaging Ivorian and West African stakeholders through open days, public conferences, and training for media, religious leaders, and civil society organizat