GIABA trains West African journalists in financial investigations

A strategic alliance against financial crime

Capacity building for media professionals is at the heart of the regional strategy to combat illicit financial flows. The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) is bringing together investigative journalists from across the sub-region for a three-day training workshop in Accra. Started on 22 September 2026, this initiative aims to make media professionals active partners in detecting economic offenses.

During the opening of the proceedings, the organizers emphasized the role of media professionals in exposing illegal practices and challenging policymakers. The representative of the Director General of GIABA highlighted the need to collaborate closely with the press to address constantly evolving regional threats.

Mastering modern investigative techniques

During this training session, participants are focusing on acquiring essential technical skills to handle complex financial cases. The learning focuses in particular on the use of open-source intelligence and the analysis of fraud mechanisms. Journalists are learning to decrypt corporate structures, examine public registries, and identify the beneficial owners of companies.

Emphasis is also placed on data verification to limit misinformation on issues related to money laundering and terrorist financing. For oversight institutions, the objective is to enable the production of investigations based on solid physical evidence.

Cross-border cooperation among media professionals

The cross-border dimension of economic crimes requires a coordinated response from information actors. This regional workshop serves as a platform to encourage the creation of networks and alliances among investigative journalists from different West African countries.

This networking should facilitate data sharing and the conduct of joint investigations into suspicious financial channels that cross the borders of the sub-region. The working sessions continue in Accra until 24 September 2026.