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Lagos, Nigeria · 8–11 November 2026

Global Conference on Beneficial Ownership & Asset Recovery

Unmasking Ownership; Unlocking Justice for Sustainable Development

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Hosted by the Corporate Affairs Commission, other Federal Government Agencies and a coalition of Civil Society Organizations.
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Lost by Africa to illicit flows

Beneficial ownership transparency is the first line of defence

Illicit financial flows and anonymous corporate structures have cost the world billions — Africa alone an estimated USD 88 billion. Beneficial ownership transparency is the recognised first line of defence; paired with asset recovery, it turns hidden wealth into resources for development and justice.

Nigeria has taken bold steps: the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, the CAC's Beneficial Ownership Register, and active asset recovery led by the EFCC, ICPC and the Federal Ministry of Justice.

250 participants — senior officials, regulators, international organisations, financial intelligence units, private-sector practitioners, civil society and investigative journalists — convening to accelerate progress globally, continentally and nationally.

Nigeria's steps so far

Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020

The legislative foundation for beneficial ownership disclosure in Nigeria.

CAC Beneficial Ownership Register

Established and operated by the Corporate Affairs Commission, lead convener of this conference.

Active asset recovery

Led by the EFCC, ICPC and the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Four interconnected objectives

Set out in the conference Concept Note as the agenda for the two days in Lagos.

01

Strengthen BO disclosure

Examine register design, data verification, public access, and interoperability across jurisdictions.

02

Advance asset recovery

Identify legal, operational and diplomatic bottlenecks in tracing, freezing and repatriating stolen assets — with a focus on Nigeria and Africa.

03

Harness technology & data

Explore how artificial intelligence, data analytics and RegTech tools can expose hidden ownership and enhance financial intelligence.

04

Accelerate FATF compliance

Support African jurisdictions in meeting FATF Recommendations 24 and 25 ahead of upcoming mutual evaluations.

From hidden wealth to recovered assets

Transparency exists to make concealed wealth recoverable. Since the public register opened in 2023, the convening agencies have turned decades of recovery work — from the Abacha loot to the largest single forfeiture in EFCC history — into repatriated billions and seized estates.

₦566bn+
Recovered, 2023–2025
1,502
Properties seized
4,111
Convictions in 2024
$5bn+
Abacha loot, over 25 years

Figures from the EFCC, ICPC and independent media — Leadership, Channels TV, ThisDay.

753

duplexes, recovered from one CBN governor

Godwin Emefiele's 150,462 m² Abuja estate, held behind nominees, was forfeited to the state in December 2024 — the largest single asset recovery in EFCC history. The Federal Government is reselling the homes to low- and middle-income Nigerians.

Largest single recovery ever Source: Vanguard
₦364.5bn + $326.5m
Recovered by the EFCC in 2024 alone
Nairametrics
₦50bn
Of recoveries redirected to the student loan fund (NELFUND)
Leadership

Recoveries reflect the work of the EFCC, ICPC, NFIU and international partners. The Beneficial Ownership Register is the transparency tool that makes tracing the real owners behind such assets faster. Figures as reported, July 2026; some cases remain ongoing.

Recovered — on the agencies' own record

EFCC · ICPC · Federal Ministry of Justice — tap a card to flip
EFCC
₦8.9bn

Jewellery, 11 exotic cars & cash — Aisha Achimugu

↻ flip for source

Aisha Achimugu

Final forfeiture of ₦4.6bn jewellery, ₦4.3bn in 11 exotic cars, $50,000 and ₦30m cash to the Federal Government.

FCT High Court, Abuja · July 2026

EFCC.gov.ng
EFCC
48

Properties — incl. a university & radio station — ex-AGF Malami

↻ flip for source

Abubakar Malami

48 properties forfeited — including Rayhaan University (Kebbi), its radio station, hotels and plazas — as proceeds of unlawful activity.

Federal High Court, Abuja · 15 July 2026

EFCC.gov.ng
EFCC
753

Duplexes + 2m share certificates — Godwin Emefiele

↻ flip for source

Godwin Emefiele

The Supreme Court affirmed the final forfeiture of the 753-unit Abuja estate and 2 million share certificates to the government.

Supreme Court of Nigeria

EFCC.gov.ng
EFCC
52

Houses forfeited in a single Lagos judgment

↻ flip for source

52 houses, Lagos

The court ordered the final forfeiture of an estate of 52 houses in Lagos to the Federal Government.

Federal High Court, Lagos

EFCC.gov.ng
ICPC
27.92 ha

Estate land → 962 homes — Goodluck Jonathan Estate

↻ flip for source

Goodluck Jonathan Estate

Final forfeiture of 27.92 hectares in Kaba District, Abuja, handed to the FMBN to complete a 962-unit, $65m housing project.

Federal High Court, Abuja · Dec 2025

ICPC
ICPC
₦942m

IPPIS ghost-worker payroll fraud

↻ flip for source

IPPIS payroll fraud

Final forfeiture of ₦941.9m traced to 909 accounts across 14 banks in the IPPIS ghost-worker scheme.

Federal High Court, Abuja · July 2026

ICPC
FMoJ
$102.9m

+ £2.06m foreign assets recovered, 2024–25

↻ flip for source

Foreign asset recovery

The Attorney-General reports $102.88m and £2.06m in foreign assets recovered in 2024–25; $763.7m repatriated since 2017.

Federal Ministry of Justice · 2025

FMoJ / AGF
FMoJ
$52.9m

Repatriated from the United States

↻ flip for source

US–Nigeria repatriation

The US and Nigeria agreed to repatriate ~$52.88m in forfeited corruption proceeds linked to a former minister.

US–Nigeria agreement · Jan 2025

U.S. State Dept · FMoJ

Cases drawn from the agencies' filings and official announcements; each card links to its source.

In the news

Reported by independent media & the agencies
Punch May 2025

FG to sell Emefiele's 753 duplexes to low- and middle-income Nigerians

Read
OpenOwnership 2024

Nigeria: leveraging beneficial ownership transparency for asset recovery

Read
Channels TV Mar 2025

EFCC records highest convictions and biggest asset recovery in 2024

Read
Premium Times 2025

EFCC recovers part of CBEX Ponzi funds, arrests suspects

Read
CAC 2023

Beneficial Ownership Register: what you need to know

Read

Four sub-themes

Under the main theme, four interconnected sub-themes trace how BO data is collected across jurisdictions, whether it can be trusted, how it is put to work, and what legal frameworks make disclosure enforceable.

1 Sub-theme 1 Connecting the Dots BO Register Integration and Interoperability

Making ownership data searchable across borders: the Beneficial Ownership Data Standard (BODS), API-based sharing, the emerging African BO Data Exchange, and linking the CAC register to the NRS, CBN, NFIU and National Population Commission.

2 Sub-theme 2 Can We Trust the Data? BO Data Verification in Practice

A register is only as credible as its contents: risk-based verification, third-party identity databases, automated screening against sanctions and PEP lists, and the penalties that make disclosure honest. Lessons from the UK, Denmark and Ukraine.

3 Sub-theme 3 Putting BO Data to Work Investigations, Compliance and Public Accountability

What analysts, investigators, compliance teams and journalists actually need from BO data — and the design that delivers it: standardised formats, free public access, bulk download, historical records and API connectivity.

4 Sub-theme 4 From Obligation to Action FATF Compliance, Enforcement and Asset Recovery

FATF Recommendations 24 and 25, criminalising non-disclosure, DNFBPs as gatekeepers, and the recovery chain end to end: financial intelligence, mutual legal assistance, freezing, non-conviction-based forfeiture and repatriation.

Conference programme

High-level plenaries, parallel technical panels and interactive breakout workshops, running 09:00–18:00 each day, with a gala dinner on the evening of Day 1.

All times West Africa Time (WAT · UTC+1) Key plenaries livestreamed & recorded French interpretation for ECOWAS delegates

Day 1

Transparency and the BO Imperative
  1. 08:00

    Registration & Welcome Coffee

    break
  2. 09:00

    Opening Ceremony & Welcome Remarks

    ceremony

    CEO/Registrar-General, CAC (Chief Host) · Director-General, NFIU · Executive Chairman, EFCC. Keynote: Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice.

  3. 09:30

    Special Address

    ceremony

    High Commissioner / Ambassador representing a key partner government (UK, US or EU).

  4. 10:00

    Networking Break

    break
  5. 10:30

    Plenary 1 — The State of Beneficial Ownership Globally

    plenary

    Progress, gaps and the future road map: FATF compliance landscape, the Open Ownership global register, and the African BO reform agenda.

  6. 12:00

    Lunch Break

    break
  7. 13:00

    Plenary 2 — Asset Recovery: Nigeria's Story and the Global Challenge

    plenary

    Nigeria's asset recovery track record, outstanding claims, and building political will for cross-border cooperation.

  8. 14:45

    Parallel Panels A & B

    panel

    A: BO Register Design and Data Quality · B: Cross-Border Asset Recovery — Legal Frameworks and Practical Challenges.

  9. 16:30

    Breakout Workshops

    workshop

    Three concurrent working sessions (see below).

  10. 17:30

    Day 1 Wrap-Up & Preview of Day 2

    ceremony
  11. 19:30

    Gala Dinner

    social

    Hosted by CAC, NFIU and EFCC.

Breakout Workshops

Three concurrent workshops on Day 1, each capped at 40: Connecting Registers (technical implementation); Verifying What’s in the Register (policy to practice); Using BO Data (practitioner masterclass). Outputs feed the Technical Recommendations Report.

Side Events

Day 2 hosts the Civil Society & Investigative Media Forum (Transparency International Nigeria, Premium Times CIJ, OCCRP Africa) and Bilateral Consultations on the MoU framework (CAC, NFIU, EFCC with interested delegations).

Speakers & principals

The conference is convened around the office-holders below. The wider international line-up is confirmed and published ahead of the event.

Invitations issued · confirmations pending
  • Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN

    Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN

    Registrar-General/CEO, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

    Chief Host & Opening Remarks
  • Ola Olukoyede

    Ola Olukoyede

    Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

    Co-convener

  • Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN

    Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC)

    Co-convener

  • Hafsat Bakari

    Director/CEO, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)

    Co-convener

  • Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN

    Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice

    Keynote Address

  • Thom Townsend

    Executive Director, Open Ownership

    BODS & Interoperability

  • Policy Lead

    FATF Secretariat

    Global Compliance

  • Senior Governance Specialist

    World Bank

    Financial Sector Integrity

  • Senior Legal Adviser

    UNODC

    UNCAC & Forfeiture

  • Representative

    StAR Initiative (World Bank / UNODC)

    Asset Recovery

  • Representative

    UK National Crime Agency

    Unexplained Wealth Orders

  • Data Journalist

    ICIJ

    Investigative Media

  • Investigator

    Global Witness

    Network Analysis

Named principals reflect the current office-holders; participation is confirmed ahead of the conference.

The agencies behind the conference

The conference is organised by the Beneficial Ownership and Assets Recovery International Conference Organising Committee — led by the Corporate Affairs Commission with the Federal Government agencies and partner organisations below.

Lead convener

Corporate Affairs Commission

Registrar of companies for Nigeria and custodian of the national Beneficial Ownership Register. The CAC chairs the Organising Committee and leads the convening consortium.

Visit website

NFIU

Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit

EFCC

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

ICPC

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission

NDLEA

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency

NPF

Nigeria Police Force

NRS

Nigeria Revenue Service

NEITI

Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

NEPZA

Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority

OGFZA

Oil & Gas Free Zones Authority

TUGAR

Technical Unit on Governance & Anti-Corruption Reforms

OGP

Open Government Partnership

Open Ownership

Open Ownership
Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, Registrar-General and Chief Executive of the Corporate Affairs Commission

Chief Host

Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN

Registrar-General / Chief Executive, Corporate Affairs Commission

The Commission chairs the Organising Committee and keeps Nigeria's Beneficial Ownership Register, opened to the public in 2023. It convenes this conference and delivers the opening remarks.

250 delegates from 45+ countries

100 international and 150 Nigerian participants across government, international organisations, the private sector, civil society and the media.

Government & regulators

Ministers of Finance and Justice, heads of FIUs, corporate registries, customs and revenue authorities, and the judiciary.

International organisations

FATF, GIABA, ESAAMLG, World Bank, IMF, UNODC, INTERPOL, the Egmont Group, Open Ownership and the StAR Initiative.

Foreign delegations

Representatives from the UK, USA, France, Switzerland, UAE, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal and other partners.

Private sector

Commercial banks, legal and accounting firms, trust and company service providers, FinTech and RegTech companies, and stock exchanges.

Civil society & media

Anti-corruption NGOs, investigative journalists, academic researchers and think tanks.

Nigerian agencies

CAC, NFIU, EFCC, ICPC, NDLEA, CBN, NRS, NPC, NEITI, OGFZA, TUGAR and the Attorney-General's Office, among others.

Delegate registration

Open to international and national delegates, press and prospective sponsors.

Delegate pass · included

Full four-day access

No fee to register
  • 8–11 November 2026
    Four days · 09:00–18:00 WAT
  • Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja
    Lagos, Nigeria
  • In-person + livestreamed
    Key plenaries recorded for on-demand
  • English
    French simultaneous interpretation
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Registration closes

31 October 2026

  • Visa support is coordinated by the Organising Committee Secretariat, liaising with the Nigerian Immigration Service.

No payment or identity documents are collected. Each email address may register once.

Sponsorship packages

Sponsors receive recognition across all conference materials, the Lagos Declaration, and published outputs. Select a tier to start an enquiry.

Show values in

Platinum

5 slots
$39,900 per slot

≈ ₦56,000,000 · invoiced in Naira

Airfare for 20 international + 6 national delegates

  • Recognition during the conference
  • Roll-up banners in strategic venue locations
  • Logo in the programme brochure
  • Animated logo

Gold

6 slots
$21,400 per slot

≈ ₦30,000,000 · invoiced in Naira

Hotel accommodation for 130 delegates

  • Recognition during the conference
  • Roll-up banners in strategic venue locations
  • Logo in the programme brochure

Silver

5 slots
$10,700 per slot

≈ ₦15,000,000 · invoiced in Naira

Venue, stage, lighting, transportation, logistics & accreditation

  • Recognition during the conference
  • Logo in the programme brochure

Bronze

8 slots
$7,100

≈ ₦10,000,000 · invoiced in Naira

Delegate kits, consultancy fee, compère, ushers & stewards

  • Recognition during the conference

Amounts are invoiced in Nigerian Naira (₦); USD, EUR, GBP figures are indicative conversions at the parallel-market rate (as of 28 July 2026).

Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos — 8–11 November 2026

A 300-person plenary hall and five breakout rooms at the Sheraton, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja.

The entrance and facade of Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Ikeja, at dusk

Conference venue

Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja

30 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

Directions

Dates

8–11 November 2026

Venue

Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos — 300-person plenary hall and 5 breakout rooms · +234 916 759 5516

Accommodation

Conference hotel block at a negotiated rate, with overflow hotels secured

Language

English (primary), with French simultaneous interpretation for ECOWAS / Francophone delegates

Visa support

Coordinated by the Organising Committee Secretariat, liaising with the Nigerian Immigration Service

Livestreaming

Key plenary sessions livestreamed and recorded for post-conference distribution

What the conference will produce

01

The Lagos Declaration

Adopted by participating delegations, with a two-year review mechanism.

02

Technical Recommendations Report

20–30 actionable recommendations, published within 60 days.

03

Bilateral MoUs

At least three cooperation agreements on BO data sharing and asset recovery.

04

Conference Proceedings

Full proceedings including panel summaries and workshop outputs, within 90 days.

05

Policy Briefs

Three two-page thematic briefs for senior decision-makers who did not attend.