Nigeria has earned global recognition for its efforts in combating financial crimes, as the collaboration between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) secured the prestigious UNODC–World Bank–Egmont Group Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative Award.
Key Highlights:
- EFCC and NFIU won the prestigious UNODC–World Bank–Egmont Group StAR Initiative Award.
- The award was presented at the 32nd Egmont Group Plenary in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- It recognises excellence in fighting financial crimes and recovering stolen assets.
- The EFCC–NFIU partnership was praised for effective intelligence sharing and international cooperation.
- The recognition highlights Nigeria’s growing role in the global fight against financial crime.
The award was presented during the 32nd Egmont Group Plenary of Heads of Financial Intelligence Units, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from July 5 to 10, 2026.
The StAR Initiative Award is regarded as one of the highest operational honours in the global financial intelligence community.
It recognises outstanding cases where effective financial intelligence sharing and professional analysis have strengthened investigations, disrupted illicit financial networks, and facilitated the recovery of stolen assets.
According to the Egmont Group, the award is reserved for exceptional cases that demonstrate innovation, operational excellence, international cooperation, and measurable impact in the global fight against financial crime.
The organisation noted that the successful collaboration between the EFCC and the NFIU has become a model for other countries, highlighting how timely and secure intelligence sharing between domestic institutions and international partners can produce significant results in asset recovery.
It added that the winning case showcased how intelligence generated by the NFIU strengthened EFCC investigations, ultimately leading to the recovery of substantial stolen assets.
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The Egmont Group also said the partnership reflects the importance of intelligence-led investigations in tackling increasingly sophisticated financial crimes across borders.
The annual Egmont Group Plenary is the organisation’s highest decision-making forum, bringing together heads of financial intelligence units from across the world to discuss emerging threats, share expertise, and shape global strategies against money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes.
This year’s plenary focused on strengthening public-private partnerships, underscoring the growing need for collaboration among governments, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies in addressing evolving financial crime risks.
The Egmont Group is an international network of 180 financial intelligence units committed to enhancing global cooperation in the exchange of financial intelligence and supporting efforts to detect, prevent, and disrupt illicit financial activities.
