The Director General of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Emomotimi Agama, said on 27 October 2025 in Abuja that Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list will significantly boost investor confidence in the country’s financial markets.
Agama remarked that the delisting sends a “very strong signal to investors and trading partners that Nigeria has made significant progress in strengthening its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulations.”
He added that the development would open the door to fresh foreign investment, improved capital flows and a stronger domestic economy, especially as Nigeria works to enhance transparency and regulatory integrity.
Financial analysts agree that being on the grey list had raised perceptions of higher risk for Nigeria, increasing costs for cross-border transactions and limiting access to international finance.
The exit from the monitoring list comes after Nigeria implemented a 19-point action plan to strengthen its Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) frameworks, and the delisting is being viewed internally as a landmark policy achievement.
For the capital markets, the move is expected to improve Nigeria’s rating as a credible investment destination, possibly leading to increased listings, greater foreign participation, and deeper market liquidity.
However, experts caution that sustained gains will depend on consistent enforcement of regulations, transparent governance and broader economic reforms to convert improved perception into real capital-market impact.