President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of Ms. Hafsat Abubakar Bakari as the new Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), subject to the approval of the Senate. This is part of his administration’s efforts to curb illicit financial flows and other sharp practices in the country’s foreign exchange markets.
Ms. Bakari is a lawyer and financial intelligence expert with years of experience in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and counter-proliferation financing (AML/CFT/CPF). She has served as Deputy Director at the NFIU, and held various positions at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), including Head of the General Services Unit, Head of the Strategy and Reorientation Unit, and Head of the Board Secretariat.
The NFIU is the central national agency responsible for collecting and analyzing disclosures from reporting organizations, and producing financial intelligence for dissemination to competent authorities. It also acts as the Financial Intelligence Unit for Nigeria, and is a member of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, an international organization that facilitates cooperation and intelligence sharing between national financial intelligence units.
The President expressed his confidence that Ms. Bakari will bring her wealth of experience and expertise to full discharge in this critical role, especially in view of his administration’s war against corruption, money laundering, and terrorism financing. He also urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process, and give her the necessary support to succeed in her new assignment.
