The Civil Forum for Asset Recovery (CiFAR) has launched training for journalists considered to be key players in advocacy against illicit finance.

Each year, Africa loses up to $50 billion due to opaque financial flows. The organization engaged in the fight against the circuit of wealth resulting from corruption and in the repatriation of ill-gotten assets, in partnership with GIZ and CENOZO, has launched a short training program for journalists from investigation.

It is open to English and French speaking journalists from West Africa and Europe who are looking to improve or expand their experience in financial investigation. Eligible African countries are: Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Participants will benefit from a comprehensive five-day online training aimed at learning, improving and strengthening their skills in journalistic investigation, with a focus on financial crime. The training will focus on the themes of financial crime and transnational corruption, the reading of financial documents, the return of ill-gotten gains, the basics of investigative journalism, the particularities of the financial investigation of public figures, the story-telling techniques, online databases and digital tools and safety and security in the context of an investigation. The deadline for submitting applications is May 20, 2021.