The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit has welcomed the European Union’s decision to remove Nigeria from its list of high-risk third-country jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorism financing. The delisting takes effect from January 29, 2026, and also applies to South Africa, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique and Tanzania.
The decision follows the countries’ removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list after implementing reforms to strengthen their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks. Nigeria was delisted from the FATF grey list in October 2025, while the EU decision was formalised through a European Commission Delegated Regulation adopted on December 4, 2025.
In a statement, the NFIU chief executive officer, Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, described the move as an external validation of Nigeria’s progress in strengthening its AML, CFT and CPF framework. She said the outcome reflected political leadership and collaboration among stakeholders, including the national assembly, law enforcement agencies, regulators, the judiciary and the private sector.
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Bakari said Nigeria’s removal from the list means financial transactions with the European Union will no longer be subject to enhanced due diligence requirements. She added that the development is expected to ease compliance burdens, support cross-border financial flows and improve Nigeria’s appeal for trade, investment and financial partnerships with EU member states.
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