Nigeria, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Mozambique have been removed from the European Union’s list of “High-Risk Third Country Jurisdictions” and the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list between October 2025 and January 2026, marking a significant milestone in the continent’s efforts to strengthen financial integrity.
The delistings mean that financial transactions involving these countries and the EU will no longer be subject to enhanced due diligence requirements, a move expected to ease compliance costs for banks, support cross-border trade and improve investor confidence.
The Paris-based FATF last October confirmed the removal of the four countries at the end of its plenary meetings, citing progress in addressing deficiencies in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) frameworks.
Read also: SEC urges market operators to sustain compliance culture after Nigeria’s exit from FATF grey list
The FATF is the world’s leading intergovernmental body responsible for setting global standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.
Africa’s most populous nation was placed under increased monitoring in February 2023 following concerns over weaknesses in its AML/CFT regime. Its removal reflects stronger inter-agency coordination, improved supervision of financial institutions and enhanced efforts to tackle illicit financial flows, according to the FATF.
South Africa, Africa’s most industrialised economy, was greylisted in 2023, while Mozambique joined the list in 2022 and Burkina Faso in 2021. The Paris based agency said the country improved its mechanisms for detecting and investigating money laundering and terrorist financing, Mozambique enhanced financial intelligence sharing, and Burkina Faso tightened oversight of financial institutions and other gatekeepers.
“With each plenary, we seek to make the world’s defences against criminals stronger,” Elisa de Anda Madrazo, president of the FATF, said at a press briefing. “This plenary has been a very positive one — a positive story for the continent of Africa.”
Following the FATF decision, the European Union also removed South Africa and other African countries from its own high-risk jurisdictions list on Tuesday, which mirrors the FATF’s grey list. South Africa’s National Treasury said the country’s inclusion on the EU list in 2023 was an automatic consequence of its FATF greylisting.
“The decision to remove South Africa and other African countries from the European Union list was published on January 9, 2026, and will take effect on January 29, 2026,” the Treasury said.
Read also: FG Commends Zedcrest for Pivotal Role in Nigeria’s FATF Grey List Exit
In addition to the four countries, Mali and Tanzania were also delisted from the list.
Under EU law, financial institutions are required to apply enhanced due diligence to transactions involving countries deemed high risk, including more intrusive checks, higher documentation requirements and senior management approval.
Such measures often curb financial flows and act as a disincentive to trade and investment.
According to the Union, the delisted countries had “strengthened the effectiveness of their AML/CFT regimes and addressed technical deficiencies,” signalling renewed confidence in their financial systems and regulatory oversight.
I hold a degree in Economics from the University of Lagos and have over eight years of experience in content writing and journalism.
My career spans roles as a financial and business journalist at BusinessDay Media and TechCabal, and as Head of Research at SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused market intelligence and strategic consulting firm.
I also served as Editor at Finance in Africa, a subsidiary of Businessfront. I am currently Assistant Editor, Finance (Africa), at BusinessDay.
