The Nigerian Government was well-represented by officials from the relevant government agencies. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Hafsat Bakare and her Chief of Staff, Mohammed Ahmed played a pivotal role in providing insights into Nigeria’s actions to expedite the delisting process. Senior officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ) and other government agencies were also actively involved in highlighting the challenges and opportunities for facilitating Nigeria’s delisting. Their presence and contributions underscored their dedication to the delisting process.

Nigeria, since its greylisting in 2023, has made significant strides. Following the outcome of the 2021 MER and the subsequent action plans, the Government has demonstrated unwavering efforts in the enactment of laws and policies, leading to improved ratings in previously non-compliant areas. These include effectiveness measures related to the investigation and prosecution of money laundering cases, the maintenance of statistics, initiation of international cooperation, national coordination, and responses to inherent risks identified in the ML/FT sector.

As the interactive session ended, the stakeholders reiterated their unwavering commitment to collaborate. Their shared goal is to address all outstanding issues in the joint ICRG action plan which includes strategic steps towards enhancing international cooperation in asset recovery and return and developing sustained training for all judicial/enforcement officers on AML/CFT investigation, prosecution, adjudication, and confiscation of stolen assets.

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