President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the removal of Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, describing it as a major milestone in the nation’s economic reform and global credibility drive.

The FATF, the world’s foremost body for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing, announced Nigeria’s delisting on Friday at its plenary session in Paris, France.

The decision formally removes Nigeria from the list of countries under increased monitoring, following the nation’s successful completion of its FATF Action Plan after over two years of sustained reforms and inter-agency coordination.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said the development reflects Nigeria’s progress in strengthening its Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework.

“Rather than treat our placement on the grey list in 2023 as a setback, we saw it as a call to action,” the President said. “This delisting is a strategic victory for our economy and a renewed vote of confidence in Nigeria’s financial governance.”

The President credited the achievement to far-reaching legal, institutional, and operational reforms implemented under his administration through the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), in collaboration with the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and other key ministries.

Tinubu commended the Director/CEO of the NFIU, Ms. Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, and her team for their diligence and professionalism, as well as the contributions of several ministries, agencies, and private sector representatives who participated in the National Task Force on AML/CFT.

He also acknowledged the support of international partners including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Nations, and the European Commission, for their technical assistance throughout Nigeria’s reform process.

President Tinubu assured that his administration will sustain and deepen the reforms that led to the country’s delisting.

“This is not just a technical accomplishment,” he said. “It marks the beginning of a new chapter in our financial reform agenda as we continue building a system Nigerians and the world can trust.”

Lagos State has retained its position as Nigeria’s highest internally generated revenue (IGR) state in 2024, according to a new report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The report, published on Monday via the NBS X handle, revealed that the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) collectively generated ₦3.6 trillion in 2024, marking a 49.7 per cent increase from ₦2.43 trillion recorded in 2023.

Lagos led the chart with ₦1.26 trillion, followed by Rivers with ₦317.3 billion, and the FCT with ₦282.36 billion. Ogun and Enugu States completed the top five with ₦194.93 billion and ₦180.5 billion, respectively.

The bottom five states on the list were Adamawa (₦20.29 billion), Taraba (₦17.46 billion), Kebbi (₦16.97 billion), Ebonyi (₦13.18 billion), and Yobe (₦11.08 billion).

Other states that made the top 10 include Delta (₦157.79 billion), Edo (₦91.15 billion), Akwa Ibom (₦75.77 billion), Kano (₦74.77 billion), and Kaduna (₦71.57 billion).

The NBS noted that the sharp increase in overall IGR reflects growing fiscal efforts by states to boost their internal revenue base amid declining federal allocations.

Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms as steps in the right direction, while urging the administration to now prioritise economic growth and measures to ease hardship for Nigerians.

Speaking to journalists after a meeting with the President in Abuja on Thursday, Okonjo-Iweala commended the government’s efforts to stabilise the economy, describing stability as the necessary foundation for long-term progress.

“We think the President and his team have worked hard to stabilise the economy. You cannot really improve an economy unless it is stable. So he has to be given the credit for the stability of the economy,” she said.

While acknowledging the positive impact of ongoing reforms, she stressed that stability alone was insufficient.

“The reforms have been in the right direction. What is needed next is growth. We now need to grow the economy and put in place social safety nets so that people who are feeling the pinch of the reforms can also have some support to weather the hardship,” she noted.

Okonjo-Iweala said discussions with the President focused on balancing structural reforms with relief measures for vulnerable citizens, as well as strategies for job creation and boosting disposable income.

“The next step is: how do we build social safety nets to help Nigerians cushion the hardship they are feeling, and then how do we grow the economy so we can put out more jobs and more money in people’s pockets?” she asked.

The WTO chief emphasised that without job creation and increased incomes, the benefits of reform would not fully reach ordinary Nigerians.