Nigeria has commenced a five-day training programme for 100 experts to strengthen the country’s preparedness for the third-round Mutual Evaluation on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing. The training, holding in Abuja from October 12 to 16, is facilitated by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA),…...
Nigeria has commenced a five-day training programme for 100 experts to strengthen the country’s preparedness for the third-round Mutual Evaluation on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing.
The training, holding in Abuja from October 12 to 16, is facilitated by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), with support from SecFIN Africa.
Declaring the programme open, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, said Nigeria must demonstrate the effectiveness of its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks rather than merely present its laws and policies.
Bakari noted that the exercise builds on Nigeria’s successful exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List in October 2025, stressing the need to sustain the progress achieved and strengthen the country’s financial integrity framework.
Representing the Director-General of GIABA, Giwa Siman Sechap, said mutual evaluation was a collective national responsibility that required more than technical compliance with international standards.
He explained that the process also involved demonstrating that relevant laws, institutions and enforcement mechanisms were producing measurable results in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
Similarly, the Country Representative of SecFIN Africa, Professor Shehu Abdullahi, emphasised the importance of collaboration among relevant institutions, noting that effective preparation required collective ownership of national priorities.
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The training brings together representatives of key government institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the NFIU, among others.
Participants are expected to deepen their knowledge of critical areas, including financial intelligence, regulatory supervision, virtual assets, beneficial ownership and international cooperation.
The programme forms part of broader efforts to expand Nigeria’s pool of accredited experts capable of supporting the country’s mutual evaluation process and strengthening its compliance with international standards.
It also precedes a mock evaluation scheduled for November, which is expected to assess Nigeria’s level of preparedness, identify potential gaps and enable relevant institutions to address outstanding concerns ahead of the formal assessment.
The initiative underscores Nigeria’s commitment to consolidating the gains made in strengthening its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing systems, improving inter-agency coordination and reinforcing confidence in the country’s financial system.
