By Muhammad Gazali Garba.
Sokoto State Governor, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu, has pledged the full support and cooperation of the state government to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant agencies conducting the National Terrorism Financing Risk Assessment of the Non-Profit Sector in Nigeria.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu gave the assurance when he received the technical team, led by Erinomo Temitope, at the Council Chamber, Government House, Sokoto.
The Governor commended the EFCC and other participating agencies for undertaking the important exercise, describing it as a significant initiative aimed at strengthening efforts to prevent terrorism financing and safeguard the integrity of the non-profit sector in Nigeria.
He acknowledged the important role played by non-profit organisations in national development, particularly their contributions to supporting vulnerable communities and complementing government efforts in the provision of essential social services.
Governor Aliyu assured the delegation that the Sokoto State Government would provide the necessary cooperation and facilitate access to relevant government institutions, non-profit organisations and other stakeholders to enable the team to effectively carry out its assignment.
He also urged relevant non-profit organisations operating in the state to extend maximum cooperation to the technical team and provide the necessary information and feedback required for a successful assessment.
The Governor expressed confidence that the outcome and recommendations of the exercise would further strengthen collective efforts to promote integrity, accountability, transparency, good governance and sustainable development in Sokoto State and the country at large.
Earlier, the leader of the technical team, Erinomo Temitope, explained that the National Terrorism Financing Risk Assessment of the Non-Profit Sector was being conducted across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones by an inter-agency committee constituted for that purpose.
He said the exercise was designed to identify and assess potential vulnerabilities within the non-profit sector that could be exploited by terrorists and their financiers, as well as develop appropriate measures to mitigate the identified risks.
According to him, the team would engage relevant government agencies, security institutions, non-profit organisations and other stakeholders in Sokoto to obtain feedback on the challenges they face in carrying out their legitimate activities.
He added that the engagement would also provide an opportunity to sensitise non-profit organisations on measures they could adopt to protect their operations and resources from being exploited for terrorism financing.
Temitope emphasised that terrorism financing remained a collective challenge requiring coordinated efforts among government institutions, security agencies, non-profit organisations, civil society groups and other stakeholders.
He noted that Nigeria was not alone in the fight against terrorism financing, explaining that the country’s efforts were also being undertaken within the broader international framework for combating money laundering and terrorism financing, including the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
He expressed appreciation to Governor Ahmed Aliyu and the Sokoto State Government for the warm reception and support extended to the delegation, stressing that the cooperation of stakeholders was essential to the success of the assessment.
The engagement is expected to provide valuable insights into the risks and challenges facing the non-profit sector and contribute to the development of effective measures to prevent terrorism financing while ensuring that legitimate humanitarian and charitable activities continue unhindered.
