Dare Babalola
President Bola Tinubu has welcomed Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, marking a significant milestone in the country’s financial integrity efforts.
The FATF announced the delisting at its plenary in Paris, France, on Friday, according to Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
The FATF is the world’s foremost standard-setting body for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.
The statement noted that the announcement formally removed Nigeria from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, commonly referred to as the “grey list”.
Reacting in a statement on Friday, Tinubu described the development as “a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards economic reform, institutional integrity and global credibility.”
In a statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu applauded the vital support from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Aviation, the Minister for Budget and Economic Planning, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Solid Minerals, the Minister of State for Finance, the National Security Adviser as well as the leadership of the National Assembly and the Judiciary, in the attainment of the laudable achievement.
The President praised Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, Director/CEO of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, and her team for their hard work in implementing Nigeria’s Action Plan, leading to the country’s removal from the FATF grey list.
He noted that Nigeria’s progress in combating serious crimes, thanks to NFIU’s efforts, has earned international recognition.
“Without their dedication and sacrifice, today’s success could not have been achieved. I thank them for their efforts and urged other stakeholders to emulate their standards,” President Tinubu said.
Tinubu also commended all Ministries, Agencies, their heads and private sector representatives who contributed to the delisting through their active participation in the National Task Force on AML/CFT.
Among these are the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, the National Coordinator National Counter-Terrorism Centre.
Others are the Chairman National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Managing Director Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as all their dedicated staff.
