In a move expected to deepen transparency, strengthen asset recovery and curb economic sabotage, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has partnered with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) to deploy advanced space and geospatial technologies in investigations and asset management.
A statement by Dele Oyewale, Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, noted that the partnership was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday in Abuja.
The agreement is aimed at strengthening inter-agency collaboration, particularly in the areas of investigations, asset tracking and fraud risk assessment, marking a new phase of cooperation between the anti-graft agency and Nigeria’s space research and regulatory authority.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ola Olukoyede, Executive Chairman of the EFCC, described the agreement as a practical demonstration of the power of collaboration among government agencies.
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He noted that closer cooperation would make it easier for institutions to effectively deliver on their statutory mandates.
According to Olukoyede, the MoU clearly defines the responsibilities of both agencies and establishes a framework for sustained cooperation.
He disclosed that a special monitoring and implementation team would be constituted to ensure the effective operationalisation of the agreement and to periodically review its impact.
“We will put a team together that will monitor the operationalisation of this MoU and also review the effectiveness of the platform from time to time.
“When agencies work together in the spirit of collaboration, it not only enhances efficiency but also encourages other ministries, departments and agencies to explore similar partnerships in the overall interest of national development”, he said.
Explaining the specifics of the partnership, the EFCC chairman said NASRDA would provide advanced technological tools to boost the Commission’s investigative capacity and asset tracking, while the EFCC would deploy its expertise to support the agency in fraud risk assessment.
“We will support you in the area of fraud risk assessment, and you will support us in promoting our investigative capacity.
“Where our eyes cannot get to, with the aid of your technology, we will be able to get there”, Olukoyede said.
He noted that the collaboration would be particularly beneficial to investigations into illegal mining activities, which have been linked to economic sabotage and rising insecurity in parts of the country.
“With the technology you are going to support us with, we will be able to identify some of these areas,” he added.
Olukoyede further expressed optimism that the partnership would significantly enhance the EFCC’s asset management processes, stressing that asset recovery remains one of the core pillars of the Commission’s mandate.
He explained that recovered assets are scattered across the country and exist under different legal statuses, including interim and final forfeiture.
“In some of these places, we may not have enough personnel to physically secure the assets. But with your support, we will be able to deploy geospatial technology and asset tagging devices to monitor both movable and immovable assets in a transparent and accountable manner”, he said.
In his remarks, Matthew Adepoju, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NASRDA, welcomed the partnership, describing the MoU as a major milestone in the pursuit of justice and regulatory compliance within Nigeria’s space ecosystem.
Adepoju stressed that space-related activities are strictly regulated in developed economies and should be treated with similar seriousness in Nigeria, particularly in view of the potential misuse of satellite assets.
“You cannot go anywhere in Europe, continental America or the Far East and be doing business in the space ecosystem without the country ensuring that you are doing the right thing.
“We know for a fact that some satellite assets are being used negatively in driving insecurity in the country”, he said.
He also raised concerns over the use of satellite-mapped data on Nigeria’s natural resources to aid illegal activities, especially illegal mining, which he identified as one of the drivers of insecurity.
“Some of our natural resources are mapped to satellite platforms and are supplying information to local bad actors.
“Our research has shown that illegal mining is one of the drivers of insecurity in the country.
“That is why it is expedient for everyone operating across the upstream, mainstream and downstream segments of the space sector to be properly regulated and compliant with the law”, Adepoju said.
Adepoju assured that NASRDA would fully deploy its regulatory, space technology and spectrum management capabilities to ensure the success of the partnership.
“We have identified key areas of collaboration with the EFCC, including asset management, asset tracking, and the tagging and geotagging of both movable and immovable assets,” he said.
