Nigeria Trains 100 Specialists Ahead of Third-Round AML/CFT Mutual Evaluation
By Patience Ikpeme
Nigeria has started a five-day capacity-building programme to prepare 100 members of its Mutual Evaluation Working Groups (MEWG) for the country’s third‑round mutual evaluation on anti‑money laundering, counter‑financing of terrorism and counter‑proliferation financing (AML/CFT/CPF).
Facilitated by the Inter‑Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and supported by SecFIN Africa at Nigeria’s request, the training runs from October 12–16, 2026, in Abuja. It aims to establish a common understanding of the assessment methodology and prepare participants for a national mock mutual evaluation scheduled for November 2026.
Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, CEO of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), said Nigeria must show both strong rules and evidence of their effectiveness. “Nigeria must be ready to not only explain its laws, policies and institutional arrangements, but also to demonstrate the results they deliver,” she said, adding the workshop builds on the country’s exit from the FATF Grey List in October 2025 and signals ongoing commitment to financial integrity.
Giwa Siman Sechap, Director, Evaluations and Compliance at the GIABA Secretariat, representing the Director‑General, emphasised that mutual evaluation is “a collective national responsibility.” He said the training will help participants present “a clear and evidence‑based account of Nigeria’s efforts,” stressing that assessors look for credible proof that systems are delivering results.
Professor Shehu Abdullahi, SecFIN Africa’s country representative, highlighted the need for sustained institutional collaboration. “Effective preparation requires institutions working together, sharing reliable information and taking collective ownership of national priorities,” he said, noting the exercise will help identify gaps and consolidate progress.
The programme brings together representatives from key agencies that underpin Nigeria’s financial integrity framework, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Police Force, NAICOM, NCTC, NDLEA, ICPC, NEITI, and others.
Participants will cover topics such as financial intelligence, regulatory supervision, virtual assets, beneficial ownership, investigations and prosecutions, asset confiscation, international cooperation, targeted financial sanctions and proliferation financing risks.
Practical exercises and simulated assessment interviews are designed to prepare MEWG members to respond to assessors with accurate information and verifiable evidence. The training builds on a national stocktake and gap analysis coordinated by the NFIU with support from EFCC, DSS, ICPC, CBN, NAICOM and SEC through the Inter‑Ministerial Committee (IMC).
Over the past two years, Nigeria has expanded its pool of accredited global experts in the FATF Standards from fewer than 10 to 25. Organisers say the current session is part of a wider capacity‑building plan that could train further cohorts of 100–150 participants quarterly and eventually include the private sector.
Bakari described the goal as converting collective effort into measurable improvements. “The real value of this exercise lies in the improvements it helps us deliver. By bringing our institutions together around evidence, shared responsibilities and measurable results, we can build a stronger and more effective system for detecting and disrupting financial crime,” she said.
The programme reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to inter‑agency cooperation, stronger institutional capacity and demonstrable progress ahead of its next mutual evaluation.
