Across the region, whistleblowers frequently face job termination or harassment after revealing corruption or workplace infractions, which contributed to the urgent need for legal protection.
Whistleblowers in Nigeria and 13 other West African countries face severe risks, including harassment, job loss, and even death, due to the absence of comprehensive legal frameworks to shield them, the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) said Tuesday.
The AFRICMIL Coordinator, Chido Onumah, said this at the ongoing Sub-regional Conference on Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection in West Africa on Tuesday in Abuja.
The event, with the theme, 'Reducing Corruption in West Africa through Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection Laws,' brought together key players from across the region to address the systemic challenges whistleblowers face.
Mr Onumah described whistleblowers as "endangered species" across the region because of their relevance to the fight against corruption.
In the absence of legal protection, Mr Onumah said, whistleblowers face all kinds of retaliation ranging from stigmatisation and discrimination, dismissal from place of work, criminal sanctions and death in extreme cases for daring to take what is obviously a delicate conscious action.
Of the 15 member states in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), only Ghana has implemented legislation to protect whistleblowers.
The rest of the countries - Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo - either lack or have insufficient legal protection for whistleblowers.
Mr Onumah said though many of these countries have adopted the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) but their lackadaisical attitude towards having a law has brought harm to many.
"We totally agree with the ECOWAS Commission that one of the best ways of giving them cover is for member states to provide a comprehensive legal framework through the whistleblowing legislation for disclosure of information and protection against any retaliation as a result of making disclosure," he noted.
In Nigeria, many whistleblowers frequently face job termination or harassment after revealing corruption or workplace infractions, which contributed to the urgent need for legal protection.
"The pervasiveness of entrenched structural corruption in most countries in West Africa, despite abundant endowment in mineral and natural resources, has no doubt made it a region infested with poverty. Lack of accountability, integrity and transparency in the management of resources by the governments in power are mostly identified as the reasons for this deplorable trend," Mr Onumah said.
Corruption and its impact
Mr Onumah said the lack of whistleblower protection laws makes long-standing corruption worse, which continues to plague most West African countries.
He stressed that despite the region's wealth in natural resources, mismanagement and lack of accountability have left many citizens trapped in poverty.
"One of the most effective methods of beaming the light on corruption and combating it is whistleblowing. This is a key component of the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance. Whistleblowers have been helping to expose corrupt practices such as bribery, fraud, theft of public funds and other wrongdoing.
"The right of citizens to report wrongdoing is part and parcel of the right to freedom of expression and access to information. Not only do people have the right to protect fellow citizens and the larger society, they also have the duty to report wrongdoing," he added.
Calls for comprehensive legislation
In his keynote address at the event, Etannibi Alemika, a professor of criminology and seasoned policy analyst, called for the adoption of stronger whistleblower protection legislation across West Africa to combat corruption.
Like Mr Onumah, Mr Alemika said that lack of adequate protection for whistleblowers has discouraged many from coming forward to expose wrongdoing.
"Without strong legal protections, whistleblowing remains a risky act that few are willing to undertake," he said.
He criticised Nigeria's current whistleblower policy, which came into effect in 2016, for its lack of robust legal backing. While the policy promises rewards for reporting stolen public funds, it fails to adequately protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
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"The focus on monetary incentives undermines the integrity of whistleblowing," he argued. "What we need is comprehensive legislation that ensures anonymity, protection from victimization, and, where necessary, relocation of whistleblowers and their families."
He urged governments to align their anti-corruption strategies with international best practices and prioritise the enforcement of existing laws.
"The fight against corruption is not just about recovery of stolen assets but about building systems that prevent such theft in the first place," he stated.
The event was attended by a representative of Africa Director at the MacArthur Foundation, Kole Shettima; the National Programme Officer on Anti-corruption at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Princess Chifiero; the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN), Anna Myers; the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Michael Nzekwe, among ohers.
