Nigeria has officially been removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, a move President Bola Tinubu describes as a strategic victory for the nation’s economy and financial credibility.
The global anti-money laundering watchdog announced on Friday Nigeria’s delisting at its October 2025 Plenary in Paris after confirming the country’s full compliance with a 19-point reform plan.
President Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the achievement reflects his administration’s strong commitment to transparency and financial discipline.
He noted that the government treated the grey-listing—first imposed in February 2023—as a call to action, driving major legal and institutional reforms across key agencies.
Under Tinubu’s directive, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), working with the Ministries of Finance, Justice, and Interior, coordinated sweeping measures to meet international standards.
The NFIU’s Director, Hafsat Bakari, confirmed Nigeria’s delisting, describing it as “a true test of national resilience and coordination.”
She said, “The FATF has officially removed Nigeria from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, commonly known as the grey list. This milestone marks a historic moment in Nigeria’s fight against serious financial crimes and underscores our commitment to global standards in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.”
According to her, key reforms that led to the delisting include the enactment and enforcement of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022; the operationalisation of the Beneficial Ownership Register; and stronger supervision of designated non-financial businesses and professions.
President Tinubu commended the NFIU and other stakeholders for their diligence, adding that the milestone boosts investor confidence and reaffirms global trust in Nigeria’s financial system.
At the same FATF meeting, South Africa, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso were also removed from the grey list after meeting compliance benchmarks.
Analysts say Nigeria’s delisting will simplify cross-border transactions, attract more investment, and signal a more stable financial environment.
Tinubu concluded, saying the country will “sustain reforms and build a financial system Nigerians — and the world — can trust.”
