LlThe African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has welcomed the passage of Senegal’s whistleblower protection law enacted by the country’s National Assembly on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
Developed under the administration of President Diomaye Faye that assumed office in April 2024, the law marks a pivotal moment for transparency and accountability not only in Senegal but also across francophone sub-Saharan Africa where the country now basks in the reputation of being the first to pass this sunshine law.
AFRICMIL, in a press statement signed by its Coordinator, Dr. Chido Onumah, said: “We recall with pride the resolutions from the first Sub-regional Conference on Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection in West Africa, which held in Abuja in November 2024. During that event, it was noted that among ECOWAS member states, only Ghana had a dedicated whistleblower protection law. With Senegal’s adoption of this law, the country now joins Ghana in leading the region in meaningful anticorruption reform.”
The landmark legislation allows whistleblowers to report wrongdoing, such as corruption or financial crimes, anonymously and securely, either via internal mechanisms or through designated authorities. Importantly, those whose disclosures result in the recovery of illicit funds will be rewarded with 10 per cent of the assets recovered, or a sum determined by the relevant authority.
“While we celebrate this advancement,” the statement noted, “we commend the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), for the role they played in pushing for the law and continued advocacy towards strengthening democracy in Senegal.” AFRICMIL called on the government of Senegal to work closely with civil society to ensure effective implementation of the law.
“The designated agency, likely the National Office Against Fraud and Corruption (OFNAC), which was set up to oversee anticorruption efforts, must work hand in hand with stakeholders to make reporting mechanisms both accessible and trustworthy.”
The organisation noted that the enactment of the law delivers a powerful momentum to the Whistleblowing Advocacy Coalition of West Africa (WACOWA), which was formed at the sub-regional conference in Abuja last November. “Senegal’s proactive approach reinforces WACOWA’s mission to collaborate with ECOWAS parliamentarians, civil society and anti-corruption agencies across the region to campaign for meaningful whistleblower legislation in member states.”
Nigeria introduced a whistleblower policy, which is managed by the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), a unit in the Federal Ministry of Finance, in December 2016. Nine years later, despite the efforts of civil society organisations like AFRICMIL and other stakeholders, the country has not been able to move from policy to law. While Nigerians were initially enthusiastic about the policy which led to massive recovery of stolen public funds and physical assets for the government, there has since been a significant loss of interest in submitting tips to expose corruption and other wrongdoing in the public interest. Many people say the dwindling interest is due to the lack of a legal instrument to ensure the protection of whistleblowers.
AFRICMIL urged other West African governments, including Nigeria, to emulate Ghana and Senegal, recognising that enactment and diligent enforcement of whistleblower protection laws are not just legal instruments, but foundational to good governance, accountability and restoring public trust. The organisation called on the Nigerian government to speed up the process of enacting a similar law, saying it’s long overdue.
“We congratulate the people of Senegal, legislators, and civil society champions, including our partners at PPLAAF, whose resolve has made this milestone possible. With this law, we move closer to a West Africa where transnational crime, which impacts security and stability of countries, is curtailed, transparency prevails, corruption is exposed, and whistleblowers are protected rather than persecuted,” the statement concluded.
