Hafsat Abubakar Bakari Biography
Hafsat Bakari is a lawyer and financial intelligence expert who was recently appointed as the Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) by President Bola Tinubu. The NFIU, or the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, serves as the primary national agency tasked with receiving disclosures from reporting organizations, analyzing these disclosures, and generating intelligence for distribution to relevant competent authorities.
Bakari has years of experience in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and counter-proliferation financing. She has also served in various capacities at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), such as the Head of the General Services Unit, the Head of the Strategy and Reorientation Unit, and the Head of the Board Secretariat.
Bakari is taking over from Modibbo Hamman-Tukur, who was relieved of his job by Tinubu in June 2023.
Hafsat Bakari Age
Hafsat Bakari is 46 years old as of 2024.
Hafsat Bakari State Of Origin
Hafsat Bakari hails from Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Hafsat Bakari Early Life and Education
Hafsat Bakari was born in Kaduna, Nigeria, in 1978. She is the daughter of Abubakar Bakari, a retired civil servant, and Aisha Bakari, a teacher. She has three siblings: two brothers and a sister. She grew up in a modest but comfortable home, where she developed a passion for reading and learning.
She attended Queen Amina College, a prestigious girls’ secondary school in Kaduna, where she excelled academically and socially. She was the head girl of her class and participated in various clubs and activities, such as the debate team, the drama club, and the chess club. She graduated with distinction in 1996 and won several awards and scholarships.
She proceeded to study law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where she continued to shine as a brilliant and diligent student. She was the president of the Law Students’ Association and the editor-in-chief of the Law Review, a student-run journal. She also volunteered for several human rights and anti-corruption organizations, such as the Civil Liberties Organisation and the Transparency International. She graduated with a first-class degree in 2000 and was the best graduating student of her faculty.
She furthered her education at the University of London, where she obtained a master’s degree in financial law and regulation in 2002.
Hafsat Bakari Career
Hafsat Bakari began her career as a legal practitioner in 2002, after completing her master’s degree in financial law and regulation from the University of London.
She joined the law firm of Akinwunmi & Busari, where she handled various cases involving corporate law, commercial law, banking law, and arbitration. She also provided legal advice and consultancy to clients on financial matters, such as compliance, due diligence, and risk management.
In 2005, she moved to the public sector and joined the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a senior legal officer. She was part of the team that prosecuted high-profile cases of corruption, fraud, money laundering, and terrorism financing. She also participated in several international investigations and collaborations with foreign agencies, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Egmont Group, and the Interpol.
In 2010, she was promoted to the position of assistant director and head of the general services unit of the EFCC. She was responsible for overseeing the administrative, financial, and human resources functions of the commission. She also initiated and implemented several reforms and policies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the EFCC’s operations and services.
In 2015, she was transferred to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), which was then a department within the EFCC. She served as the head of the strategy and reorientation unit, where she developed and executed strategic plans and programs for the NFIU. She also led the efforts to enhance the NFIU’s compliance with international standards and best practices on financial intelligence and analysis.
In 2018, she became the head of the board secretariat of the EFCC, where she coordinated and facilitated the activities and meetings of the EFCC board. She also acted as the liaison between the board and the management of the EFCC, as well as other stakeholders and partners. She also supervised the legal and regulatory affairs of the EFCC, including drafting and reviewing contracts, agreements, and memoranda of understanding.
In 2024, she was appointed as the director and chief executive officer of the NFIU by President Bola Tinubu. She is the first female to occupy this position, and the second person to lead the NFIU since it became an independent and autonomous agency in 2018.
Hafsat Bakari Husband and Children
Hafsat Bakari is married to Dr. Ibrahim Suleiman, a medical doctor and public health consultant. They got married in 2004 and have three children: two sons and a daughter.
Hafsat Bakari Net Worth
Hafsat Bakari has an estimated net worth of $250,000 as of 2024.
