Written by Katie Fuhs and Zeina Walet

Next month, front-line anti-corruption actors will gather at the Fifth International Corruption Hunters Alliance (ICHA) Forum in Abidjan to share their knowledge and experiences of the challenges, risks, and opportunities for advancing anti-corruption efforts. To ensure a diversity of generational perspectives, the World Bank Group has asked Accountability Lab to put together a youth delegation that will participate and present their ideas at the Forum. 

To that end, the Lab is happy to present the 2023 ICHA Youth Delegation. From investigators to creatives, this group of 19 youth delegates from 14 countries across the African continent includes lawyers, filmmakers, researchers, gamemakers, social workers, and more. Whether they are running public anti-corruption call centers or ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering regulations, this impressive group of young professionals demonstrates that young people are already leading the way when it comes to anti-corruption efforts on the ground. 

Here are the delegates:

Afia Poku 

Ghana, 27 years old

Legal Consultant, Center for International Private Enterprise

Afia Poku is a lawyer licensed in Ghana and the United States (New York). She is a legal consultant and an anti-corruption specialist with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the Anti-Corruption and Governance Center (ACGC). Ms. Poku holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. Afia has worked with international non-profits in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ghana on projects focused on anti-corruption, international trade, development finance, and impact investing. Ms. Poku has extensive experience providing high-level research and legal advice in training workshops and projects in emerging markets which educate the youth and compliance professionals on anti-corruption, accountability methods, corporate governance, and financial regulation. She believes that these educational efforts are essential in empowering stakeholders to contribute effectively to sustainable economic development in Africa and globally.

Amida Balega Suzanne

DRC, 26 years old 

Filmmaker Accountability Lab RDC

Born in the city of Goma, Amida holds a degree in Commercial Sciences and Informatics of Management from the Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Bukavu (ISP-Bukavu). Amida’s career has been oriented towards the arts. Thanks to the Film Fellowship program initiated by Accountability Lab DRC and funded by the US State Department, she was trained in film making. This is how she was able to make her first short film “ADHOKA”. Thanks to this experience, she gained more knowledge about leadership and governance. In August 2022 she did a six month internship at Accountability Lab Rdc, in the Film Fellowship program. In August 2021, she became a youth blogger for UNICEF BUKAVU, a youth platform that aims to identify and fight against fake news and inappropriate use of social networks. She has been a moderator of various conferences such as the GDG conference and the Women Tech Makers program of International Women’s Day (IWD), which aimed at encouraging women to take an interest in the digital world.

Cecilia Ogwuche

Nigeria, 30 years old

Legal, Liaison and Program Officer, Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resource Centre 

Cecilia Ogwuche is a lawyer and human rights advocate who focuses on climate justice, public accountability, human rights, and anti-corruption. She founded the Cecilia Ogwuche Foundation, which advocates for prisoner rights, welfare, reform, and reintegration. Cecilia holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy. She has worked for various law firms and organizations, providing secretarial, legal, and business advisory services as well as representing clients in court. Cecilia also worked as a TV Producer and Legal Correspondent. She is currently a Research Specialist at the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, where she worked on the 6th edition of the Compendium of 100 High Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria in 2022 and also holds a contract position as Legal, Liaison, and Program Officer. She uses her extensive legal background and experience in human rights advocacy to promote public accountability, anti-corruption, and sustainable development.

Chisom Regina Okolie

Nigeria, 29 years old

Associate, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie

Chisom works on finance, compliance due diligence, and risk investigation for financial matters. As a Lead Associate for Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie’s Finance, Investigations and Data Protection teams, she has led cross-border financing projects as well as multisector due diligence investigations to determine investee’s creditworthiness, compliance with anti-money laundry and counter-terrorism practices, and adherence to sectorial regulations. Chisom has co-authored articles published by the International Comparative Legal Guide, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Journal, and Chambers Global. Chisom has been recognised by the World Bank Group for her contributions to its ‘Doing Business Guide.’ Due to her continued contributions to the finance and energy sectors, she received a national award as a ‘Nigerian Rising Star,’ was selected as one of the ‘40 leading lawyers under the age of 40’ in Nigeria, and has been recognized as a ‘key lawyer’ by top international legal ranking bodies, such as the International Financial Law Review and the Legal 500.

Deisy Inssa da Conceição Ribeiro

Mozambique, 29 years old 

Legal Advisor, Mozambique Rovuma Venture, S.P.A. 

Deisy is a registered attorney with experience in mining, oil, gas, and energy. She is currently finishing her LLM in Law at Universidade Edudardo Mondlane as well as a post-graduate diploma in Corporate Governance and Compliance from the International Compliance Association (ICA). She is currently a legal and compliance advisor for an oil and gas operator in Mozambique. Previously, Deisy was a consultant for the African Legal Support Facility, where she built the secretariat for the African Mining Legislation Atlas program, of which she is an alumna. She also worked as a researcher at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, where she co-authored articles in numerous academic reviews.

Eze Edith Oluchi

Nigeria, 25 years old 

Assistant Programs Officer, Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch 

Edith Oluchi Eze is an Assistant Programs Officer working with the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTIW) in Abuja to develop and execute projects that strengthen the integrity mechanisms of government institutions. She has a strong interest in government transparency and has through her work at the Center engaged in several anti-corruption projects to promote good governance. She has participated in the review of anti-corruption policies such as the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. Edith has interest in the use of data to combat corruption and was the Research Officer for the 2022 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII), measuring government institutions’ compliance with extant laws that promote fiscal transparency and citizens’ access to information. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Nigeria.

Faith Mbabazi

Uganda, 35 years old

Manager of Research, Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority, Government of Uganda

Faith has 12 years of experience in research, monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, and data analysis. Her academic qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, a post-graduate diploma in Project Planning and Management, and a Master’s degree in Management Studies. She has also completed short courses in public policy, data analytics, research, monitoring and evaluation, and gender statistics. Currently, Faith serves as the Manager of Research at the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) responsible for regulating public procurement in Uganda, where she has gained extensive experience in research, monitoring, and reporting. In her role, she manages the PPDA’s research and ensures supply-and-demand-driven research is carried out on key topical areas, including corruption and accountability in public procurement. Previously a data manager for various NGOs and companies, Faith gained skills in data management and analysis to inform project decisions for corrective action.

Fatou Kiné Diop

Senegal, 34 years old

Project Manager, Forum Civil/Transparency International in Senegal

Trained as a lawyer, Fatou is currently a project manager at the Civil Forum, the Senegalese section of Transparency International. They work on all issues related to corruption, illicit financial flows, transparency, and accountability in public policies through tools and mechanisms within the framework of the projects and programs we implement. Among these tools and mechanisms are the following: the Club of Integrity, Territorial Committee for Tax Justice, and Women of the Mining Communities. The Civil Forum conducts annual studies on TI’s Corruption Perception Index results in Senegal and leads advocacy at the national level.

Lala Touray

The Gambia, 25 years old

Program Officer, National Democratic Institute – Gambia Office

Lala is a passionate, driven and result-oriented young professional with over 6 years of experience. She currently works as a Program Officer at the National Democratic Institute Gambia Office, where she leads the implementation of two major projects that seek to enhance public access to information as well as government communication and transparency. Through this work, Lala provides support to key government institutions and CSOs to advance transparency reforms in various areas, including anti-corruption. She also serves as the Female Representative at the National Youth Council – appointed by young people to represent and serve in the interest of young Gambian women – and the Gambian Representative at the Commonwealth Youth Council. Through these positions, she works to empower Gambian youth to become involved in governance processes. Lala previously worked with the International Republic Institute and the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission of The Gambia as Youth Empowerment Officer, and she is an alumna of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and winner of the 2022 She Awards’ Youth Excellence Award.

Martha Asire

Uganda, 26 years old

Program Assistant, Transparency International – Uganda Chapter

Martha is a social worker and development practitioner with experience in anti-corruption through her current role as Program Assistant at Transparency International – Uganda Chapter. She is currently implementing the “Land and Corruption in Africa Phase II” project, which deals with key corruption issues in Uganda, such as bribery, solicitation, nepotism, embezzlement, and forgery. For this project, she oversees an anti-corruption call center where citizens are encouraged to report injustices and corruption happening in their communities. After they receive the complaints and concerns, they pressure the relevant government offices to rectify the gaps in their work. They then collaborate with these offices, bodies, and organizations to advocate for the proper execution and maintenance of service delivery via programs such as public bazaars, open days, literature shares, and community paralegal trainings. 

Nazana Juma

Zambia, 32 years old

Senior Analyst, Financial Intelligence Unit, Government of Zambia

In the last seven years, Nazana has been working as an analyst for the Zambian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Her role entails analyzing suspicious transaction reports from reporting entities (such as financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions), regulatory authorities, and regulated entities to facilitate investigations as well as collecting financial intelligence and monitoring financial systems and instruments to identify the proceeds of crime, tax evasion, financial crimes schemes, money laundering schemes, and terrorist financing activities. She also conducts inspections of anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism programs of reporting entities to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulations, guidelines, and directives issued under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act. Nazana has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and is an active member of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS). She is currently studying towards a Master’s in Anti-Corruption Compliance and Collective Action.

Ndi Nancy Saiboh 

Cameroon, 30 years old

Founder/Chief Executive, Actions for Development and Empowerment

Ms. Ndi Nancy Saiboh is an anti-corruption and good governance activist who founded Actions for Development and Empowerment (ADE), a CSO that works on strengthening good governance and reducing corruption through government and community engagement. She doubles as the Country Director for Follow The Money – Cameroon, an institution that seeks to ensure accountability regarding government procurement processes and public funds meant for community and social development. Ms. Saiboh is a social justice advocate with over nine years of experience in community outreach and organizing. She is particularly interested in public accountability and the use of law to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of citizens, with a priority for youths, women, and vulnerable communities. Nancy took part in a debate with other young CSOs on democracy and good governance during French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2022 visit to Cameroon. She also represented Cameroon at the 2018 African Youth Congress in Nigeria.

Mohamed Ouahebi 

Tunisia, 25 years old

Project Coordinator, International Institute of Debate

Ouahebi is a young active citizen who is passionate about civic engagement, volunteering, and human rights. He completed a Master’s degree in legal studies at the University of Tunis Manar and was coordinator of the regional office of the National Association of University Clubs for two years. In 2021, he was elected coordinator of the regional office of Innovation and Research Center Tunis, where he advocated for human rights, and obtained a certificate to become a professional trainer. Since joining the International Institute of Debate (iiDebate) as a project coordinator, he has worked on 9 projects covering migration, corruption, political and civic engagement, urban violence, and conflict resolution as well as worked with many international partners, such as USAID, GIZ, NCSC, DIGNITY, GAME, IFES, and KAS – experiences that have provided him with a strong network of local and national partners and a great knowledge of youth issues across all regions in Tunisia.

Rebecca Raphael Majani

Tanzania, 31 years old

Investigator, Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau, Government of Tanzania

Rebecca worked as a legal officer at Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority and as a permit officer for East African Crude Oil Pipeline, where she helped contractors acquire the required permits. Currently, Rebecca is working as an investigator at the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), where she gives legal advice on matters such as corruption allegations and prosecution. At the PCCB, Rebecca is a case controller who advises investigators on how to trace assets and conduct parallel investigations, assists with drafting restraining order applications, and reviews regional and international instruments, protocols, and conventions on issues of corruption. She also prepares documents for application of mutual legal assistance as well as litigation of criminal cases and has participated in corruption trainings on witness protection, parallel investigation, and asset tracing. Rebecca has a Bachelor’s degree in law and a Master’s degree in oil and gas law from Robert Gordon University in Scotland.

Roland Olivier Dedi

Côte d’Ivoire, 34 years old

High School Teacher, Tiassale Modern High School 

Roland has embarked on a career in climate transparency, a field that enables us to understand how the funds allocated by Côte d’Ivoire’s various partners are actually implemented, through the figures and climate realities that result. Good climate governance will enable him to take part in a number of restitution and presentation workshops organized by the various institutions and departments in charge of the environment in Côte d’Ivoire, in order to confront, verify and put pressure on project managers for better results and clarification of the figures. This dedication to the cause of good climate governance will enable him to take part in COP 27 with climate experts to assess and highlight climate transparency in his country, Côte d’Ivoire, like many African countries that are calling for climate justice without making appropriate use of the resources that Westerners are already granting to Third World countries.  He is also involved with the Corruption Quitte ma Cité platform, which fights for good governance and specifically against corruption.

Sabrina Nassih

Morocco, 32 years old

Program Associate, Impact for Development

Sabrina Nassih is a consultant and PhD candidate in Management Science specializing in organizational inclusion. With extensive experience in research and development consulting, Sabrina has worked with several organizations such as Open Government Partnership, Gustave Eiffel University, and Impact for Development to drive positive change in the MENA region. Her expertise in conducting research, analyzing data, and designing effective programs has enabled her to provide valuable insights and innovative solutions. Sabrina is committed to promoting inclusive and transparent practices and has delivered several conferences and seminars on access to information, civic participation mechanisms, and other related topics.

Simisola Samuel

Nigeria, 29 years old

Simisola is a lawyer and certified fraud examiner. She has seven years’ experience in anti-corruption examinations and fraud investigations in various sectors, including energy, telecommunications, government and NGOs. She currently works as an investigator for a major energy company, where she handles anti-corruption reviews and investigations. Her previous professional experience includes a three-year period with a Big 4 accounting firm, where she conducted anti-corruption reviews for private and public sector entities. Simisola has passed the ISO37001 – Lead Auditor qualification exams conducted by the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board.

Valentina Wakio Mwamburi

Kenya, 35 years old

Senior Prosecution Counsel, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Government of Kenya

Valentina is a seasoned Senior Prosecutor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in Kenya with over a decade of experience. Specializing in the Department of Economic, Organized & International Crimes, she prosecutes anti-corruption and integrity cases and promotes good governance, human rights, transparency, and accountability. Valentina holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree with honors from Moi University in Kenya, a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Anti-Corruption and Diplomacy from UNITAR & IACA as well as a Master of Laws (LLM) in Democracy and Governance at the University of Nairobi. Her work has exposed her to the root causes of corruption and offered insights on how to develop effective prevention strategies. As an experienced trainer, she has also developed seminars and trainings as well as collaborated with stakeholders, like the Kenya Revenue Authority, to address corruption.

Viva Pizzaro Seidu

Ghana, 28 years old

Executive Assistant, BDAC Ghana Limited

Viva Pizzaro Seidu is a banking and finance graduate who has previously worked as a research analyst in a compliance firm. Her past work includes supporting anti-corruption initiatives by providing data about politically exposed persons (PEPs), anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, and sanctioned individuals and businesses. Using public records and reliable news articles, she conducted thorough research of PEPs and other entities to assess their potential involvement in corruption and/or money laundering. To identify sanctioned individuals and businesses, Viva analyzed OFAC lists and other government sanctions databases. Her experiences have provided her with an understanding of the risks associated with corruption, money laundering, and other illegal activities and have inspired her to create a positive impact in the fight against corruption and other illegal activities. 

Liza Young

France, 28 years old

Project Associate for Anti-corruption Collective Action, Basel Institute on Governance

Liza Young joined the Basel Institute on Governance in 2022 as a Project Associate for Collective Action. Liza is supporting the implementation of the Siemens Integrity Initiative project, particularly developing the collective action mentoring programme and conducting research with a particular focus on Africa. Prior to joining the Institute, Liza gained experience at the PermanentRepresentation of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) to the United Nations in Geneva, where she served as an Assistant to the Ambassador. She has also worked at the Research and Information Group on Peace and Security (GRIP) in Belgium, as a research associate. Her research focused on peacekeeping operations in West and Central Africa. Liza has also gained experience in Namibia and in Senegal, within the United Nations (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and United Nations Information Centre for Development). Liza holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Montréal, and a Master’s degree in Peace Studies from the University Paris-Dauphine.

Minenhle Mahlangu

South Africa, 24 years old

Founder, Clovie

Minenhle Mahlangu is a passionate advocate for social change and sustainable development. With a BA in Sociology, Minenhle has a deep understanding of societal dynamics and a drive to create positive impact. After graduating, Minenhle embarked on a journey to teach English virtually to individuals in countries such as Hong Kong and Turkey, empowering them through language and promoting cross-cultural understanding. Motivated by the pressing issue of youth unemployment, Minenhle founded a transcription startup that provides freelance opportunities for unemployed youth, aligning with SDGs 8 and 13. Motivated by the prevailing corruption challenges in South Africa and their far-reaching impact, Minenhle embarked on a journey of understanding regarding the issue of corruption. Through dedicated research, education, and awareness-building efforts, Minenhle aims to shed light on the detrimental effects of corruption and promote transparency, accountability, and ethical governance.

Kibo Ngowi