, has described Nigeria’s removal from the European Union (EU) list of high-risk third countries for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) as a landmark achievement and a strong endorsement of the country’s reform efforts.){kind=link}
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has described Nigeria’s removal from the European Union (EU) list of high-risk third countries for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) as a landmark achievement and a strong endorsement of the country’s reform efforts.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, said the decision affirms Nigeria’s sustained reforms to strengthen its AML/CFT and Counter Proliferation Financing (CPF) framework.
She said the delisting reflects steady progress achieved through consistent reforms, effective inter-agency coordination and strong national ownership of the reform process.
Nigeria’s removal is contained in the European Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) C (2025) 8460, adopted on December 4, 2025, following updates by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) at its October 2025 Plenary. The regulation will take effect from January 29, 2026.
The decision follows Nigeria’s successful exit from the FATF list of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring after addressing identified strategic AML/CFT deficiencies. Other countries removed from the EU high-risk list include Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.
According to the NFIU, the European Commission acknowledged that Nigeria strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime, closed key technical and operational gaps and fulfilled commitments outlined in its FATF Action Plan, leading to its removal from the FATF grey list in June and October 2025.
The delisting means financial transactions between Nigeria and EU member states will no longer be subject to enhanced due diligence measures applied to high-risk jurisdictions. This is expected to ease compliance requirements, improve cross-border financial flows and enhance Nigeria’s attractiveness for trade, investment and financial partnerships with Europe.
The NFIU said the achievement reflects strong political will under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and sustained collaboration among key stakeholders, including the National Assembly, law enforcement agencies, regulators, the judiciary, the private sector and development partners.
The agency added that the development reinforces international confidence in Nigeria’s financial system and underscores the country’s role as a cooperative participant in the global financial architecture.
The NFIU reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement with the FATF, the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), the EU and other international partners, while working with domestic stakeholders to strengthen the resilience of Nigeria’s AML/CFT/CPF framework.