Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, has led a delegation to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to deepen collaboration with state governments on financial integrity and security.
The engagement, held with the Director-General of the Forum, Abdullateef Shittu, focused on strengthening cooperation to enhance internally generated revenue, improve governance, and support Nigeria’s anti-money laundering reforms.
Discussions also centred on Nigeria’s preparations for the upcoming third Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism/Counter Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) Mutual Evaluation, as well as emerging risks in sectors such as real estate and lotteries, where stronger state-level regulation was identified as critical.
Both institutions agreed to establish a joint technical working group to boost cooperation, improve data sharing, and develop harmonised regulatory frameworks across states.
The NGF commended the NFIU for its role in supporting Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force grey list and reaffirmed its commitment to data-driven policy engagement with key stakeholders.
The meeting underscores ongoing efforts to strengthen coordination between federal and state institutions in tackling financial crimes and enhancing economic governance.
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