The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) will launch the Nigeria Chapter of the global Women in Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Counter-Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) Network on October 6, 2026, in a move aimed at strengthening women’s leadership and collaboration in the fight against financial crime.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, who said the initiative is designed to promote women’s leadership, mentorship, professional development and institutional collaboration across Nigeria’s AML/CFT/CPF ecosystem.
According to the statement, the Nigeria Chapter aligns with the global Women in AML/CFT/CPF movement, which was launched during the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Singapore Presidency and further expanded under the presidency of Elisa de Anda Madrazo of Mexico.
Since its inception, the global network has become a platform for empowering women professionals through mentorship, knowledge sharing, leadership development and the promotion of professional excellence.
Bakari noted that women continue to play critical roles across Nigeria’s AML/CFT/CPF landscape, contributing in both the public and private sectors through financial intelligence, investigations, regulation and supervision, compliance, risk management, legal advisory, financial services, fintech innovation and corporate governance.
She said the Nigeria Chapter would create opportunities for experienced professionals to mentor emerging talents, strengthen collaboration among institutions and prepare more women for leadership positions in advancing Nigeria’s financial integrity and security framework.
The Network will bring together women professionals from Financial Intelligence Units, law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, designated non-financial businesses and professions, academia and development organisations.
It will facilitate mentorship programmes, technical exchanges, networking opportunities and capacity-building initiatives to enhance professional growth and deepen cooperation across the AML/CFT/CPF community.
The statement also revealed that Nigeria will champion efforts through the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) to establish a West Africa Chapter of the Women in AML/CFT/CPF Network.
The proposed regional platform is expected to strengthen mentorship, promote knowledge sharing and enhance cooperation among women professionals while supporting efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing across the sub-region.
The NFIU urged women working across the AML/CFT/CPF ecosystem to join the initiative and contribute to building a diverse and inclusive professional network committed to leadership, innovation and excellence in tackling financial crime.
