Smartcomply, an Africa-focused compliance and cybersecurity technology firm, said its AI-powered Adhere platform has aligned with the new baseline standards for Automated Anti-Money Laundering (AML) solutions recently issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The firm said it is offering financial institutions a faster pathway to regulatory compliance.
The apex bank, in a recent circular, directed banks, mobile money operators and other regulated institutions to deploy automated AML systems that meet 12 categories of minimum standards, with implementation roadmaps due in three months.

The directive is expected to accelerate technology investments across Nigeria’s financial services sector as firms race to meet the new compliance threshold.

Smartcomply’s Chief Executive Officer, Gbemisola Osunrinde, said Adhere was designed to address the regulatory gaps the new framework seeks to close.

According to her, the solution integrates transaction monitoring, automated know your customer (KYC) and customer due diligence (CDD), sanctions and politically exposed persons (PEP) screening, risk assessment, case management and regulatory reporting within a single system.

She added that the platform was integrated with Nigeria’s identity infrastructure, including the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and the National Identification Number (NIN), enabling real-time verification and enhanced compliance accuracy.

Industry analysts noted that compliance technology providers stand to benefit significantly from the new rules, as financial institutions increasingly prioritise automation to manage rising regulatory complexity, fraud risks and cross-border transactions.

Smartcomply said its system offers features such as AI-driven behavioural monitoring, anomaly detection, dynamic risk profiling, enterprise case management and automated regulatory reporting in formats prescribed by the regulator.

The company also emphasised data protection compliance aligned with Nigeria’s data protection laws, alongside customisable workflows that allow institutions to adapt the system to their risk profiles and operational structures.