While West Africa is a vibrant and diverse region, it faces a range of organised crime and other security-related threats. This OCRF foundational report sets out the organised crime and security landscape across the region, identifying the key risks and vulnerabilities in West African states, as well as providing a nuanced analysis of states’ resilience. Three deep dives focus on informing and assessing existing responses and gearing these towards prevention.
About the authors
Lyes Tagziria is a senior analyst at the GI-TOC. He has researched a wide range of illicit economies globally, is the editor of the Observatory of Illicit Economies in West Africa’s quarterly Risk Bulletin and was previously a senior member of the GI- TOC’s Organized Crime Index team.
Lucia Bird Ruiz Benitez de Lugo is the director of the Observatory of Illicit Economies in West Africa at the GI-TOC. Lucia’s work focuses on the intersection of illicit economies, conflict and instability, and she previously worked as a legal and policy adviser to the Punjab Government, Pakistan and the Ministry of Finance, Ghana.
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