Nigeria has been officially removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, following the country’s successful completion of a 19-point action plan aimed at strengthening its Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) systems.
The announcement was made during the FATF October 2025 plenary held in Paris, France. The decision marks the end of Nigeria’s two-year period under increased monitoring, which began in February 2023 after the FATF identified gaps in the nation’s financial oversight framework.
According to the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Hafsat Bakari, Nigeria’s delisting reflects significant progress in financial sector reforms, legislative improvements, and institutional coordination.
“The FATF has officially removed Nigeria from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring,” Bakari said in a statement on Friday. “This milestone underscores Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to international standards in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.”
Key reforms cited by the FATF include the passage and enforcement of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022; the operationalisation of the Beneficial Ownership Register to enhance corporate transparency; and improved regulation of non-financial businesses and professions.
Bakari added that Nigeria has significantly enhanced the capacity of its intelligence and law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute financial crimes. She also noted that the reforms strengthened collaboration between national and international agencies in tracking illicit financial flows.
The NFIU chief credited President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the National Assembly, judiciary, and the private sector for their roles in achieving this milestone, describing the process as “a true test of Nigeria’s resilience and commitment to reform.”
A high-level Nigerian delegation, which included the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Ministers of Finance and Interior, and the Director of the NFIU, represented the country at the plenary.
Bakari urged all stakeholders to maintain the reform momentum and ensure continuous compliance with global financial integrity standards.
At the same FATF session, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and South Africa were also delisted from the grey list.
