The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has hailed Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.
Mongomery, in a post on X, described Nigeria’s removal from the grey list as brilliant news. He attributed the relisting to the reforms introduced by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“Brilliant news that the Financial Action Task Force @FATFNews has de-listed Nigeria from the ‘grey list’. Reflects strong efforts to implement reforms by @NigeriaGov and opens up new opportunities for trade and investment,” Montgomery wrote on X.
The FATF is the world’s foremost standard-setting body for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. It placed Nigeria in its grey list in 2023.
After two years on the FATF grey list, during which it identified strategic deficiencies in Nigeria’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism framework, the FATF officially delisted Nigeria at its October 2025 Plenary in Paris.
Nigeria was removed from the list after successfully completing the FATF Action Plan, a process that involved over two years of continuous work, institutional reforms, and collaboration among relevant agencies to strengthen its systems for preventing money laundering and terrorist financing.
The effort was coordinated by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), in partnership with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and the Minister of Interior.
Tinubu hailed the development on Friday, adding that his administration “treated the listing as a call to action.”
Tinubu described the delisting as a strategic victory for the country’s economy, reaffirming that transparency, accountability, and sound governance remain central to the nation’s vision.
“The exit from the FATF grey list marks the beginning of a new chapter in our financial reform agenda,” he added.
“We will sustain these institutional reforms, deepen collaboration, and continue to build a financial system that Nigerians, and the world, can trust,” said Tinubu.
The President also commended the Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, and her team for their diligence and professionalism, which he said “earned Nigeria international recognition for strengthening its capacity to combat serious financial crimes.”
“Without their dedication and sacrifice, today’s success could not have been achieved. I thank them for their efforts and urge all stakeholders to emulate their standards,” the President added.
Tinubu added that the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Customs Service, and several other agencies also contributed to the delisting.
