By Nkechi Eze
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, has strengthened engagement with state governments following a high-level meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum aimed at advancing financial transparency and security across the country.
During the session with the Forum’s Director-General, Abdullateef Shittu, both sides explored practical pathways to reinforce collaboration in areas such as internally generated revenue, governance reforms, and Nigeria’s broader anti-money laundering framework.
A major focus of the discussions was Nigeria’s readiness for the forthcoming third Anti-Money Laundering, Combating the Financing of Terrorism, and Counter Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) Mutual Evaluation. The talks also highlighted vulnerabilities in key sectors, particularly real estate and lottery operations, where subnational regulatory oversight was identified as essential to mitigating financial crime risks.
To institutionalise cooperation, the two bodies agreed to establish a joint technical working group that will drive coordinated actions, enhance intelligence sharing, and work toward harmonised regulatory standards across states.
The NGF commended the NFIU for its contributions to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list, while reiterating its commitment to leveraging data-driven approaches in policy formulation and stakeholder engagement.
The meeting reflects ongoing efforts to improve synergy between federal and state institutions, with a focus on strengthening economic governance and tightening the framework for detecting and preventing financial crimes nationwide.
