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UN to spend N20bn on corruption, terrorism prevention in Nigeria

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

The UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) says it is spending 100 million dollars (about 20 billion naira) on the prevention of corruption, drugs and terrorism in Nigeria.

The UNODC Secretary-General, Mr Yury Fedotov, who is on a two-day official visit to Nigeria, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

Fedotov explained that Nigeria is one of the largest recipient of international support from the UNODC. “I think our portfolio programmes for the following amount to 100 million dollars. All our programmes put together amount to N100 million dollars.

“So it makes Nigeria one of the largest recipients of assistance of international community through the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes,” he said.

Fedotov commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his stance on corruption, and pledged the UNODC’s support to its success.

“I think the commitment of President Buhari to eradicate corruption is a very important asset for us in UNODC as the guardian of the UN Convention Against Corruption.

“In particular, we are prepared to discuss how to interact with Nigeria in the implementation of the second cycle of the Convention.

“The Convention has very important aspect; first of all for the prevention of corruption and secondly, the anti-money laundering and the return of stolen assets,” he said.

Anti-corruption is a very important and topical issue, which Nigeria can count on the organisation’s support.

He said the UNODC’s support to Nigeria could be through “stolen money initiatives and stolen asset recovery initiatives that the organisation is running jointly with the World Bank.

Fedotov also said UNODC was supporting Nigeria in the area of de-radicalisation to prevent its prisons from becoming criminals and terrorists academies.

“In Nigeria, we have a joint programme with the UNDP on de-redicalisation. I am also looking forward to visiting the Prison in Abuja tomorrow.

“The prison management could help to prevent radicalisation of vulnerable inmates who are in jail for minor offences but are mixed up in the prisons with hard-core criminals and terrorists.

“They can become easy target for radicalisation. That is why we want to see what could be done to prevent prisons from becoming criminal and terrorist academies,” he said.

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