AFRICAN CENTER MARKS 2025 ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY:
CALLS FOR JUSTICE, EQUITY, AND HUMAN DIGNITY IN GOVERNANCE

The African Center for Governance, Asset Recovery and Sustainable Development (African Center) joins the African Union and anti-corruption actors across the continent to commemorate African Anti-Corruption Day 2025, under the theme “Promoting Human Dignity in the Fight Against Corruption.”

This year’s theme speaks directly to the African Center’s mission: to advance transparent governance, recover looted assets, and uphold the dignity and rights of African peoples through fair and accountable systems and sustainable development.

Across Africa, corruption continues to violate the rights of millions by diverting resources meant for education, healthcare, clean water, and infrastructure. It widens inequality and diminishes public trust in democratic institutions. For the African Center, tackling corruption and illicit financial flows is not only a legal necessity but a step toward restoring rights and protecting the future of African communities.

STATEMENT FROM THE AFRICAN CENTER

“Corruption is not just a financial crime; it is a moral assault on the dignity of the African people. It undermines essential services, deepens poverty, and deprives citizens of the rights and opportunities they deserve. On this African Anti-Corruption Day, we reaffirm that our fight against corruption must center on human dignity, justice, and accountability.”

Our Commitment

On this important day, the African Center recommits to the following actions:

• Advancing dignity-based asset recovery frameworks that return stolen wealth to communities and public development priorities.
• Empowering local actors, especially youth and women, to participate in decision-making and demand accountability.
• Protecting whistleblowers and victims through legal and psychosocial support mechanisms that center on safety and dignity.
• Collaborating with national and regional stakeholders to strengthen anti-corruption institutions, enforcement, and people-centered policies.

We urge African governments and partners to integrate the principles of human dignity, social justice, and citizen empowerment into all national anti-corruption strategies, in alignment with the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) and global human rights frameworks.

A Call to Action

As the African Union intensifies efforts toward justice and reparations for people of African descent, the African Center sees the fight against corruption as a critical step in restoring justice, fairness, and dignity to African societies. Asset recovery must not merely be transactional; it must be transformational.

We call on civil society, governments, the private sector, and development institutions to make this commitment real by standing for the rule of law, investing in accountability systems, and placing people at the heart of governance.

For Further Engagement

The African Center is actively engaging in public education, strategic partnerships, and dialogue to ensure sustainable development outcomes across Africa. We welcome collaboration with all actors committed to building a dignified, just, and corruption-free future for our continent.