Fifty-four African countries are set to participate in the maiden General Assembly of the African Asset Recovery Practitioners’ Forum (AARP-F), scheduled to be held in Abuja from November 17 to 20.

The chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the event, Hassan Mohamed, disclosed this at the pre-conference media briefing in Abuja on Saturday.

Mr Mohamed, also the director of special services at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), said all African countries would attend the assembly virtually.

According to him, the assembly is a continental gathering of 54 countries aimed at stopping the loss of billions of dollars to corruption and illicit financial flows.

He said the assembly’s main purpose is to harmonise the fight against corruption, especially now that asset recovery has become an integral part of anti-corruption agencies’ work globally.

Mr Mohammed said the choice of Abuja was strategic, allowing Nigeria to contribute to Africa’s collective asset recovery agenda under the auspices of the African Union.

“By hosting this Assembly, Abuja will provide a meeting point for African and international stakeholders to exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships and collectively advance a shared continental agenda,” he said.

The assembly has the theme, “From Commitment to Action—Enhancing Africa’s Asset Recovery Architecture through Effective Implementation of the Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR).”

“The forum was established in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2025, to strengthen cooperation among practitioners and advance the implementation of CAPAR,” he said.

He said the African Union considered it necessary to set up the forum to ensure that recovered assets were put to use for the benefit of the masses.

“Asset recovery has become an integral part of the fight against corruption globally, and the African Union is advancing that aspect of the fight,” he said.

Mr Mohammed said Africa continues to lose resources critical to its development to corruption and illicit channels.

“Every successfully recovered public asset represents an opportunity to redirect resources towards the needs of citizens, improve public service delivery, strengthen institutions and rebuild confidence in governance systems,” he said.

Mr Mohamed said that no single country could confront transnational financial crimes alone.

He called for stronger partnerships, improved information exchange and more effective international cooperation.

Mr Mohammed said participants, including heads of anti-corruption agencies, asset recovery practitioners, representatives of financial intelligence units and international partners, would review progress, adopt governance instruments and agree on strategic action plans.

He also called on African governments and stakeholders to ensure that CAPAR becomes more than a policy document but a practical instrument for guiding national and regional action.

(NAN)