The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) commenced a three-day Regional Training Workshop on Investigative Journalism on Economic and Financial Crimes on the 22^nd to 24^th of September, 2026 in Accra, Ghana. The workshop brings together investigative journalists and media professionals from across the West African sub-region to sharpen reporting skills, acquire modern investigative techniques and build a resilient media network dedicated to exposing financial crimes, corruption and illicit financial flows.

 Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Director General of GIABA, Mr. Mam Cherno Jallow, GIABA’s head of Communication and Advocacy, Mr Timothy Melaye highlighted the urgent need to address evolving regional threats, including money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, the misuse of virtual assets, drug trafficking, extractive sector corruption and regulatory vulnerabilities in designated non-Financial businesses and professions.

“The fight against money laundering and terrorist financing cannot be fully effective without the active involvement of the media, particularly investigative journalists, who are our strategic allies,” he stated. “Through your investigations, you help uncover illegal practices, alert the public, shape public opinion, challenge decision-makers and strengthen governance. This fight will only be won if light prevails over darkness and you, journalists, are one of our most powerful beacons.”

Delivering the welcome address on behalf the director of the Ghana Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) Mr. Albert Kwadwo Twum Boafo, director of Legal at the FIC Ghana, Mr Benjamin Ofori, underscored that fighting financial crime demands collective institutional collaboration.

“The modern financial crime reporter must be able to follow the money,” Mr. Ofori said. “This requires an understanding of corporate structures, examining financial records, identifying beneficial owners, and connecting seemingly unrelated transactions. Our goal should not simply be to produce more stories about financial crime; it should be to produce well-informed, evidence-based, and impactful journalism that explains how financial crime operates and how it affects our communities.”

Over the course of the three days, participants will engage in intensive sessions focusing on equipping journalists with modern financial investigation and open-source intelligence techniques, enhancing skills to analyze procurement information, corporate registries, and beneficial ownership structures, fostering due diligence and accuracy to curb misinformation and poor reporting on Anti-Money Laundering, Financing of Terrorism and Countering Proliferation Financing matters, Strengthening cross-border networking and alliances among West African media practitioners.

The workshop reaffirms GIABA’s and its Member States’ ongoing commitment to fostering an open, transparent, and resilient West African socio-economic landscape.