The Federal Government has begun the profiling of about 100 non-governmental organisations, NGOs, with the aim of de-registering those of them that have “deviated” from their mandate.
The Director of Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Mr. Francis Usani, said in Abuja on Wednesday that the profiling was necessary in view of emerging threat of “non-profit organisations” being used as “veritable tools to launder money and finance terrorism” in Nigeria and other West African countries.
Usani spoke at the opening ceremony of the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa’s (also known as GIABA) three-day ‘regional workshop on the development of effective frameworks and structure to fight money laundering and terrorist financing through non-profit organisation’.
The event which began in Abuja on Wednesday would end on Friday.
GIABA styled after the global body, the Financial Action Task Force, was established by the Economic Community of West African States in 2000 to help in strengthening the capacity of the 18 member states towards the prevention and control of money laundering and terrorist financing in the region.
Usani, who doubles as the GIABA National Correspondent for Nigeria, explained that the profiling and other measures recommended by the FATF to tackle terrorist financing was in line with international best practices and not meant to stifle NGOs’ operations nor put them out of business.
The NFIU director, who disclosed to our correspondent that he had received a list of “about 100 NPOs” to be profiled, also said in an interview with journalists that those who failed the test would probably be de-registered.
He said, “The profiling is going to be a continuous exercise.
“We are going to continue the profiling to see NGOs which are committed to their main cause and those that are not committed to any cause.
“They will be probably delisted or their registration will be withdrawn.” – Punch