President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described corruption as a major obstacle to Nigeria’s economic growth and national development, saying the diversion of public resources has weakened the country’s ability to deploy its wealth for the benefit of citizens.

Tinubu spoke on Friday in Awka, Anambra State, during the commissioning of a new zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) serving Anambra and Imo states.

The President was represented at the event by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.The President said his administration had taken steps to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions and improve their capacity to fight economic and financial crimes.

Tinubu said the new EFCC directorate would bring the commission closer to major economic centres in Anambra and Imo, including Onitsha, Nnewi, Ohaji/Egbema and Owerri.

According to him, stronger anti-corruption institutions are necessary to protect public resources, improve transparency and create an environment where businesses can operate with greater confidence.

He also commended the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for expanding the commission’s operational presence and strengthening its enforcement and preventive functions.

Tinubu said the fight against corruption was central to his administration’s objectives of reforming the economy for sustained and inclusive growth and promoting good governance.

He added that proceeds recovered from financial crimes could provide fiscal value to government and support social intervention programmes, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CrediCorp).

The President also linked the country’s improved international financial standing to the EFCC’s enforcement activities, noting that Nigeria was removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025.