About ecoa-africa

The Ethics & Compliance Officer Association (ECOA), is a professional membership association and research institution with a focus on enhancing an organization’s compliance to the highest standards of ethics in the governance of their dealings. ECOA aims to encourage through advisement and consultation, to build and sustain a system that is proven to increase integrity in respective organizations’ mandate. The association is also for individuals who are responsible for their company’s ethics, compliance, and business conduct programs. Dedicated to building trust and corporate integrity in Africa, we help leaders create strong ethical workplace cultures and successful businesses that do the right thing.

The Ethics and Compliance Officers Association (ECOA) has developed criteria to determine competence in the practice of compliance and ethics across various industries and specialty areas and recognizes individuals meeting these criteria through its compliance certification programs. ECOA is a professional association made up of compliance and ethics professionals who determine what obligations you need to fulfill before and after Membership and certification.

The need for compliance to ethical principles in corporate and public governance across the continent of Africa is very rife, in comparison to other continents of the world; a huge gap thus exists in the ethical compliance space. ECOA is poised to creating and update a body of knowledge on ethical principles, useable across disciplines for management and governance in private and public sector organizations. This will serve as a grand norm for fostering the culture of compliance with the highest ethical principles in Africa. 

What does ECOA stands for?

  • Upholding the highest ethical codes of conduct and integrity for uncovering the spirit and intent of the regulation
  • Reinforcing the ongoing need for transparency and openness
  • Encouraging independence of thought and judgment
  • Promoting a culture of ‘doing business the right way’ and encouraging constructive challenge to that end
  • Endorsing the value of education and continuous professional development (CPD)
  • Sharing techniques for domesticating international best practice
  • Developing individual competency followed by earned empowerment
  • Supporting the fight against all aspects of financial crime
  • Promoting financial and organizational inclusion