By Ayo Kehinde
The European Union (EU) has officially removed Nigeria from its list of high-risk third-country jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorism financing.
This decision, published on January 9, 2026, marks a major boost for the country’s financial reputation and global economic standing.
Nigeria was delisted alongside five other African countries—South Africa, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, and Tanzania—following their successful implementation of reforms to strengthen anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) frameworks.
The European Commission confirmed that these nations have resolved the “strategic deficiencies” previously identified in their financial oversight systems.
The move is a direct consequence of Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list” in October 2025. Nigeria had been under increased international monitoring since February 2023, but was cleared after meeting global compliance standards and addressing regulatory weaknesses.
Countries on the EU high-risk list are subject to “enhanced due diligence,” which often results in slower transaction processing and higher operational costs for businesses and individuals.
With this delisting, the mandatory enhanced scrutiny previously imposed on financial transactions involving Nigeria will be lifted effective January 29, 2026.
This is expected to ease trade and payment flows between Nigeria and the EU, reduce transaction costs, and provide a significant confidence boost to foreign investors.
Reacting to the announcement on Thursday, January 15, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, described the decision as a milestone achievement for the President Bola Tinubu administration.
“Big win for Nigeria! Removed from EU’s financial ‘high-risk’ list! Congrats to President Bola Tinubu on this achievement,” she wrote on X.
She added that as the Minister of State for Finance, she is proud of the boost this will provide to international trade and investor appetite.
The development is widely viewed as a validation of Nigeria’s recent legislative and operational reforms, including the enforcement of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the operationalization of a more transparent Beneficial Ownership Register.
