Nigeria has made significant strides in curbing access to illicit funds by terrorist networks, according to Major General Adamu Garba Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
According to Head, Strategic Communication, NCTC–ONSA Abu I. Michael, Major General Adamu Garba Laka stated this at the opening of a Pre-Mock Onsite Assessment Workshop at the NCTC Complex in Abuja.
General Laka emphasized that cutting off financial support is central to the country’s counterterrorism efforts. “Disrupting the financial lifelines that enable terrorist groups to plan, recruit, and operate is central to our counterterrorism efforts,” he said, citing close collaboration with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and other key partners.
He commended the Joint Standing Committee on Terrorism Financing and acknowledged support from the U.S. Department of the Treasury in strengthening Nigeria’s investigative and prosecutorial capabilities.
Laka noted that Nigeria has made notable progress in implementing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)–International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) Action Plan, especially in areas of technical compliance, operational effectiveness, and multiagency coordination. These efforts, he said, were recognized during a face-to-face review in Dar es Salaam in April 2025 following the presentation of Nigeria’s Sixth Progress Report.
He also praised the NFIU for its leadership in steering the FATF process and providing the technical foundation for the reforms, while lauding the contributions of ministries, departments, agencies, and private sector stakeholders.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hajiya Hafsat Bakari, expressed pride in Nigeria’s progress, which led to the country’s invitation to join the FATF Guest Member Initiative. She noted that this development allows Nigeria to participate in global discussions under its own flag by next year.
“The rapid progress we have made since February 2023 to complete all 19 items on our action plan has been the result of a collective national effort,” she stated, acknowledging the leadership and support from across the government.
Bakari expressed gratitude to the National Security Adviser, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Finance Minister, and other Federal Executive Council members, as well as the Judiciary and National Assembly for their role in advancing Nigeria’s path to exiting the FATF grey-list.
She also announced that Nigeria will host eleven reviewers covering all immediate outcomes in the action plan—an indication of the international community’s growing confidence in the country’s counterterrorism financing framework.
