Lawyers in Nigeria have been advised to deepen their understanding of money laundering laws in order to avoid professional and legal pitfalls.
The call was made in Owerri, Imo State, by Professor Ernest Ojukwu, Co-Chair of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Anti-Money Laundering Committee (NBA-AML), during a Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop on Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) and the use of the NBA AML Portal.
The workshop was organized by the African Center for Governance, Asset Recovery and Sustainable Development (the African Center), with funding support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK FCDO).
Prof. Ojukwu emphasized that the training was designed to support legal practitioners in meeting their AML/CFT compliance obligations, including the effective use of the NBA AML Suspicious Transaction Reporting Portal.
Addressing participants drawn from NBA branches in Imo and Abia States—including Owerri, Aba, Umuahia, Ohafia, Isiala Ngwa, Ukwa, Okigwe, Orlu, Mbaise, and Mbano-Etiti—he noted that a strong grasp of AML/CFT laws is critical to protecting lawyers from inadvertently becoming entangled in their clients’ illicit activities.
The workshop, he explained, was structured to strengthen the capacity of NBA branches and compliance experts to understand and apply AML/CFT standards effectively. This role, he stressed, positions lawyers as vital gatekeepers in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, which remain significant threats to Nigeria’s financial integrity and security.
In their speeches and presentations, the Deputy Project Director of the African Center, Nma Nnaobi-Ayodele, alongside Program Officer Jerusa Nimfel and Chris Ugwuala, urged participants to act as “gatekeepers” by cascading their knowledge across NBA branches. They stressed the need to strengthen frameworks that reduce the risks of money laundering while ensuring adherence to both national and international compliance requirements in legal practice.
The technical sessions covered a wide range of topics. Papers presented included:
- Introduction to AML/CFT: Overview of Global and Regional Regimes” by Chris Ugwuala
- Legal and Regulatory Frameworks: Overview of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) and AML/CFT for Lawyers in Nigeria” by Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, SAN
- Fundamentals of AML/CFT for Legal Practitioners: Applying the Risk-Based Approach through Effective KYC and Customer Due Diligence” by Moira Frank-Peterside
- Reporting Obligations for Legal Practitioners: Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) and Suspicious Transaction Reporting (STR)” by Chris Ugwuala
- Overview of the NBA AML Portal and Guidelines on Reporting” by Jerusa Nimfel
The workshop reinforced the role of legal practitioners as critical actors in safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system and advancing global efforts against illicit financial flows.
