Abdulrasheed Bawa - Former Economic and Financial Crimes Chair

An economist, Abdulrasheed Bawa began his career with Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2004. Initially, Abdulrasheed Bawa joined the EFCC as part of its pioneering team.

Mr. Bawa quickly built a reputation as a hardworking investigator through his role in handling several high-profile cases. After 17 years with the EFCC, he was appointed chairman of the commission, a milestone given his rise to the top position and his being the youngest to assume it.

Abdulrasheed Bawa’s accomplishments as chairman of the EFCC include developing standard operating procedures, policies, and manuals for the commission’s departments, units, and staff. He established the intelligence and procurement directorates and set up a tactical operating center at the Lagos Zonal Office, as well as a cyber laboratory in the Intelligence Department.

Mr. Bawa was also integral to the launch of Eagle Eye, a mobile application that streamlined reporting of economic and financial crimes in the country. He developed document classification, healthcare, sexual harassment, bullying, staff welfare, training, and communication policies, in addition to several others.

Finally, he was critical to the renovation and upgrading of the EFCC Academy, a training institution, and upgrading the headquarters in Abuja, Benin, Gombe, Sokoto, Lagos, and Port Harcourt. More significantly, these improvements were key to the EFCC securing 3785 convictions across all its territories in 2022, and improving its record by 70.5 percent over 2020 and 2021.

Mr. Bawa’s training and experience include a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Usmanu Danfodiyo University. He currently resides in Abuja, Nigeria.