S4C applauds Nigeria’s FATF grey list exit
Spaces for Change has congratulated the Federal Republic of Nigeria on its removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list, describing the milestone as a major achievement in strengthening the integrity of the country’s financial system.
The announcement was made at the FATF plenary session held in Paris, France, in October 2025, where Nigeria was delisted from the grey list alongside Burkina Faso, South Africa, and Mozambique.
Delisting from the FATF grey list indicates that these countries have successfully addressed identified deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism frameworks. Their progress was monitored and reviewed by the International Cooperation Review Group.
According to S4C, Nigeria’s removal from the list demonstrates its commitment to technical compliance and operational effectiveness in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
Prior to Nigeria and Burkina Faso’s exit, Spaces for Change had been actively involved in supporting the implementation of FATF Recommendations in both countries, particularly relating to the non-profit sector.
S4C’s advocacy focused on building capacity for non-profit organisations, key agencies, and regulators conducting national terrorism financing risk assessments, thereby strengthening compliance with FATF Recommendation 8.
The organisation also conducted targeted outreaches, facilitated multi-stakeholder dialogues, and provided technical assistance to relevant agencies to implement reform measures aimed at preventing the misuse of non-profits for terrorism financing.
In 2022, Nigeria took further steps to remove non-profits from the list of obliged reporting entities and from the list of designated non-financial professions and businesses under the national AML/CFT framework.
Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, said Nigeria’s positive compliance rating reinforces past progress and reflects the success of coordinated reform efforts.
“We are happy to witness the country’s positive compliance rating, with Nigeria becoming the only West African country to secure a fully compliant rating on FATF Recommendation 8,” she said in a statement.
Ibezim-Ohaeri added that the delisting demonstrates Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to implementing effective measures to combat money laundering and terrorism financing while maintaining an enabling environment for non-profits.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that countermeasures introduced across the subregion do not limit civil society operations or restrict civic freedoms.
