EFCC, group train S’East NGOs in identifying terrorism financing

Non-Profit Organisations operating in the South-East have been trained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to avoid being vulnerable to terrorist financing and to understand how such vulnerability can be prevented without disrupting legitimate humanitarian work.

During the training, which was organised by the EFCC in collaboration with Spaces for Change, the Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, said the exercise was not designed to create fear among non-profit organisations or portray them as sources of terrorism financing.

She said, “The assessment would help organisations understand the risks around them and take appropriate steps to protect themselves. The essence of the programme is not to scare NPOs; it is to help us understand the terrorism-financing risk assessment process, the national risk assessment and the risks that may exist within the NPO sector.”

She said consultations were being conducted across the country because risks and operational realities differ from one region to another. Evidence gathered from organisations working in different locations would help the country develop a more accurate picture of the sector.

Ibezim-Ohaeri warned that terrorist actors understood and could exploit institutional vulnerabilities, adding that such actors might create entities that appear legitimate or take advantage of weaknesses in genuine organisations to move funds, access resources or support terrorist activities.

“The assessment is part of Nigeria’s second national review of terrorism-financing risks within the sector, which commenced in March 2026. The exercise follows an earlier assessment conducted in 2021 and published in 2022, which examined the level of exposure of different categories of non-profit organisations to possible terrorist-financing abuse.

“At the centre of the new exercise is the need to identify where genuine vulnerabilities exist. The assessment is expected to examine funding patterns, organisational structures, field operations, due-diligence procedures and existing safeguards. It will also document gaps that could allow criminals or terrorist actors to exploit an organisation, its resources or its operations.

“The assessment team involves relevant government agencies and stakeholders, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and other institutions involved in Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework”.

Leading the assessment team, Korede Abdul-Aziz urged the participants to approach the exercise openly and share information about the realities of their organisations.

An Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Fidelis Akpoagu, urged non-profit organisations to ensure that their institutions are properly registered and operate within the requirements of relevant regulatory authorities.

He also called for stronger coordination among NPOs, including the development of functional networks that could improve information sharing and help address cases of organisations or individuals misrepresenting themselves as legitimate development or humanitarian institutions.

Akpoagu said, “The ministry is considering improved data systems for this sector, including an online database that could provide more reliable information about registered organisations, their areas of operation and thematic focus.”