Correspondent Banking and De-Risking Training Course

Correspondent banking and de-risking training helps compliance, trade finance and correspondent relationship staff understand why global banks are exiting African correspondent relationships and how to rebuild the compliance credibility partners demand. Working through a live case study bank facing correspondent account closure, participants run a compliance gap analysis and design a diversified payment channel and relationship strategy.

Global banks have steadily withdrawn correspondent banking relationships from African institutions over the past decade, citing compliance costs and perceived money laundering and terrorism financing risk. This de-risking trend threatens trade finance, remittances and cross-border payments for banks that fail to build the compliance credibility correspondent partners now demand before they will keep an account open.

This course positions participants to understand correspondent banking mechanics, the drivers of de-risking, and the practical steps banks and regulators can take to maintain and diversify correspondent relationships. Working through a live case study of a bank facing correspondent account closure, participants leave able to assess exposure, close compliance gaps and build a credible relationship strategy before a partner walks away.

• Explain how correspondent banking relationships and nostro and vostro accounts function.
• Identify the key drivers behind global de-risking of African correspondent relationships.
• Assess a correspondent bank's due diligence expectations of a respondent institution.
• Apply AML and CFT standards specific to correspondent banking relationships.
• Evaluate the impact of correspondent account loss on trade finance and remittances.
• Design a compliance enhancement plan to satisfy correspondent bank due diligence.
• Assess alternative payment channels and regional payment infrastructure options.
• Evaluate the role of regulators and industry bodies in addressing de-risking.
• Build a correspondent banking relationship diversification strategy.

This programme is ideal for:

• Correspondent banking and international relations officers
• Trade finance and cross-border payments staff
• Compliance and AML officers at banks
• Central bank and regulatory staff addressing de-risking
• Remittance and money transfer operator staff
• Risk management staff assessing correspondent exposure
• Consultants advising banks on correspondent relationships
• Payment service provider and fintech partnership staff
• Financial inclusion policy staff tracking de-risking's downstream effects

Case-led delivery built around a single case study bank facing correspondent account closure, developing across all five days from mapping its correspondent network on Day 1 through a compliance gap analysis and payment channel diversification design to a closing relationship strategy workshop. The gap analysis is worked against real due diligence documentation, not a hypothetical checklist. Cohorts typically bring together correspondent banking, compliance and central bank staff, testing the strategy from several institutional perspectives.

Organisations implementing the knowledge gained from this programme will be better positioned to:

• Strengthen institutional capability to maintain and diversify correspondent relationships.
• Reduce the risk of correspondent account closures.
• Improve compliance credibility with international banking partners.
• Better respond to correspondent due diligence requests.
• Minimise disruption to trade finance and remittance flows.
• Strengthen regulatory engagement on de-risking issues.
• Improve access to regional payment infrastructure alternatives.
• Enhance institutional reputation with international counterparts.
• Reduce dependence on a limited number of correspondent banking relationships.

Upon completing this programme, participants will be able to:

• Build working command of correspondent banking mechanics and de-risking drivers.
• Strengthen credibility with correspondent partners and regulators.
• Improve confidence responding to correspondent due diligence requests.
• Sharpen judgement on AML and CFT compliance gaps.
• Gain transferable cross-border payments knowledge.
• Expand career mobility into international banking and compliance roles.
• Reduce reliance on external consultants for correspondent relationship management.
• Build a professional network of peers across African correspondent banking.
• Improve understanding of regional payment infrastructure alternatives.

At Strategic Revenue Africa, our certification goes beyond proof of attendance—it represents practical competence and measurable capability. Upon successful completion of our training programs, participants are awarded a Certificate of Completion from Strategic Revenue Africa, recognizing their ability to apply acquired knowledge in real-world settings. As an organization focused on architecting sustainable revenue and strengthening organizational performance, our certifications signal that participants are equipped with skills that drive results, not just theory.

A working understanding of international banking and basic AML concepts is assumed.