The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Defence College (NDC) are to partner on overhauling the College’s curriculum to reflect Nigeria’s rapidly evolving security and governance landscape.
EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Oyewale said the agreement was made when the NDC Commandant, Rear Admiral Ahmed, led senior officers of the college on a courtesy visit to EFCC’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in Abuja.
He quoted Ahmed as saying that the curriculum of the College needed a rejig in line with the present-day realities.
He lauded the EFCC’s expertise in tackling financial and economic crimes and solicited for the infusion of the skills in reviewing NDC’s curriculum.
“In taking over the college. I have discovered that the curriculum has not been reviewed for quite some time, and I feel that it should be reviewed in relation to our current realities.
”I feel that this agency would be of help. So, I want us to work closely in terms of what we put in the new curriculum.
”We cannot do it better than the master. We will need some insights on how to manage public funds. We want participants to learn about managing public funds.
”This is the input we want from this place and we want experts to come and talk to participants by the next course on things like that, so that any office they happen to go and take over they know exactly what to do,” he said.
Ahmed also commended Olukoyede and his team for the wonderful job they are doing for the country in terms of asset recovery and in terms of earning trust for the country.
”I also advise that you should please not rest on your oars. You should continue to do your best as much as you can.
”If there’s any research that you want us to carry out for you as an agency, we have a center for strategic research,” he said.
Olukoyede, in his response, expressed the appreciation of the commission for the visit and the proposal.
He assured the delegation of EFCC’s preparedness to work with the College to enable it achieve greater heights.
“Collaboration is a factor that brings about effectiveness and results. It’s important for us as government agencies to work together.
”We know we have a long history of collaboration with the National Defence College. We have been sending students for its programmes.
”Right now, we also have a student. That is a testament of our working together. We’ll continue to do that.
”We have a very good working relationship with the Navy, particularly in maritime investigation, arrest and prosecution of fraudsters.
”We are ready to take this to the next level, particularly with National Defence College in whatever area we need to work together in sanitizing the economy and the country,” he said.
Olukoyede explained that the commission’s mandate was to fight financial crimes, but there’s always a relationship between the work you do and what we do as well.
He said there were areas of collaboration where we can find synergy and work together in the interest of the nation.
”What you do is to train people, prepare their minds, policy areas and strategies, which are also key to our own mandate as well. In the nature of the crimes we fight, new trends are evolving.
”As a matter of fact, there’s an aspect of cryptocurrency fraud that the world is just waking up to. The world lost over $2 trillion to it last year.”
According these are emerging things, so we need to look at strategy, points of view and review your curriculum along those areas you need to look at.
”We are ready to collaborate with you in that particular area. We will love you to incorporate the development in financial crimes and corruption into your curriculum.
“We can also help you to sanitize your processes. When you are able to guarantee the sanctity of your processes, things will work right.
”It is not many people that come up with this kind of proposal for which you are inviting us over. Not very many people have that confidence.
”I believe that’s what has brought you to where you are today. Continue with that,” he said.
