Nigeria’s Umar Yakubu has been elected to represent sub-Saharan Africa at the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Coalition Board.Yakubu is Executive Director of the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CFTIW). The activist was elected in a highly competitive process in the 3rd round of the preferential vote to emerge as the African representative.

In a statement on Wednesday, CFTIW said the organization has championed advocacies to entrench the culture of transparency and integrity in Nigeria’s public sector.

“This election would bolster the centre’s resolve to combat corruption and advance good governance in the country as well as the sub-Saharan African region.

“The centre looks forward to working with other board members and global anti-corruption crusaders in the war against graft in whatever form”, it reads.

Yakubu would take part in policy coordination and oversight of the secretariat’s work; overseeing the development and implementation of UNCAC’s strategy.

Others are the promotion of activities and projects, identification of funding opportunities, and communication of positions to public audiences in sub-Saharan Africa.

UNCAC, a global network of over 350 civil society organizations (CSOs) in more than 100 countries, is committed to promoting the convention’s ratification, implementation and monitoring.

With headquarters in Vienna, Austria, the coalition was established in August 2006 to mobilize civil society actions at international, regional and national levels.