LASG tasks civil servants, others on anti-money laundering war, terrorism

By Peter Egwuatu  

The Lagos State Government, LASG, has called for cooperation and vigilance among stakeholders across all economic spheres in the war against money laundering and terrorism financing, describing it as a threat to global peace.

Declaring open a three-day strategic level anti-money laundering and countering terrorism workshop for senior officials of the state government organized in conjunction with the International Institute for African Defence, Security & Governance, in Epe, Lagos, the State’s Commissioner for Finance, Abayomi Oluyomi, said the training is to enable the civil servants as critical stakeholders gain insights, skills, and strategies needed to enhance their professional capabilities and “contribute to the collective efforts to create a safer and more secure world.”

The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Treasury Office, and Accountant-General of the state, Dr. Abiodun Muritala, reminded the participants “that the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing requires continuous vigilance, adaptability, and a spirit of cooperation across borders and sectors.  

“Your role in this mission is crucial, and your dedication is vital to our collective success,” he added, expressing confidence that the training will empower them to make a positive impact in their various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and Lagos State at Large.

He also challenged the participants to make the results of all they learn felt in the days and years ahead in the journey to building a brighter and more resilient future for all.  

Welcoming participants earlier, Major General (Retired) Emmanuel Whyte, Country Director of the International Institute for African Defence, Security & Governance, said the workshop’s theme “reflects an urgent and necessary call to action.”  

Africa and indeed the globe, he continued, “are witnessing an evolving landscape of financial crimes, terrorism financing, and abuse of state systems.”  

These, he told the participants, are manifesting in increased “illicit financial flows, procurement fraud, anonymous corporate structures, and weak internal control systems that continue to threaten our national security and development.

“As many of us are aware, Nigeria recently met the requirements for exiting the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. This effort demanded a whole-of-society response, and the role of our subnational actors, particularly strategic-level officials like you cannot be overstated. Your vigilance, commitment, and leadership are essential to ensuring that Nigeria not only meets but sustains international AML/CFT standards,” he stressed.

Lagos, as Nigeria’s centre of excellence, he said, “must continue to build resilient governance systems that are capable of identifying and mitigating risks as well as protecting public resources from misuse and criminal infiltration.”

Also speaking on the essence of the training, Whyte said it “seeks to create preventive operational systems that align with national and international compliance standards. It is about strategic foresight, institutional discipline, and integrity of purpose, and driving a preventive organisational culture that can withstand pressure, systems that work, regardless of interference.”

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