Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Deliberations at the Forum of Financial Intelligence Units of the GIABA Member States (FFIU-GMS) workshop in Abuja have underscored the urgent need for countries in West and Central Africa to translate financial intelligence into concrete policy action in the fight against financial crimes.
The two-day high-level meeting, held from April 24 to 25, 2026, at the Abuja Continental Hotel, brought together Heads of Financial Intelligence Units from GIABA and GABAC member states under the theme: “From Analysis to Action—Strengthening the FFIU-GMS Policy Framework.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, played a key role in the discussions, highlighting emerging threats such as trade-based money laundering, illicit mining, terrorism financing linked to fuel trafficking, and the misuse of informal financial systems.
Participants stressed the need for stronger coordination and intelligence-sharing frameworks to tackle evolving risks while also improving compliance ahead of upcoming mutual evaluations in line with global standards set by the Financial Action Task Force.
The workshop featured technical sessions and policy dialogues facilitated by international partners, including Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and the International Anti-Corruption Academy, focusing on how intelligence outputs can better inform national and regional policy decisions.
A major highlight was the Executive Dialogue on Analytical Priorities, where participants identified shared regional threats and agreed on practical mechanisms to enhance cooperation, coordination, and follow-through on enforcement actions.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a Working Group Roadmap designed to strengthen policy alignment, improve inter-agency collaboration, and boost preparedness for the next round of mutual evaluations.
Overall, the outcomes signalled a clear shift among member states toward moving beyond intelligence gathering to delivering measurable, coordinated action against financial crimes across the region.
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