President Bola Tinubu has appointed Hafsat Bakari as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced her appointment in a statement on Tuesday.
Ngelale said Bakari’s appointment would be definitive pending her confirmation by the senate.
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).
The NFIU is a federal agency responsible for collecting and analysing disclosures from reporting organisations, to produce financial intelligence to other agencies combating money laundering, terrorism financing, and other financial crimes.
Before she was appointed NFIU CEO, Bakari served as the agency’s deputy director.
At the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where she previously worked, Bakari headed the general services unit, strategy and reorientation unit, and the board secretariat.
“The President anticipates that Ms. Bakare will bring her wealth of experience and expertise to full discharge in this critical role, especially in view of his administration’s war against illicit financial flows and other sharp practices currently prevalent in segments of the nation’s foreign exchange markets,” the statement reads.
Tinubu had last week approved the appointment and reappointment of chairpersons of boards and CEOs for eight agencies under the federal ministry of health and social welfare.
Tinubu had also appointed Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo, his son-in-law, as the CEO of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).
