Two types of goAML validation failure
goAML validation failures fall into two categories: schema-level errors and business-rule errors. Both result in the report being rejected, but they occur at different stages of processing and require different diagnostic approaches.
| Error type | When it occurs | What causes it |
|---|
| Schema-level error | Immediately on submission — the report is rejected before entering the system | Missing mandatory fields, incorrect XML structure, wrong data type for a field, malformed date or currency values |
| Business-rule error | After the report has been accepted into the system — may take hours to surface | Logical inconsistencies between fields: wrong predicate offense for report type, indicator does not match predicate, party address incomplete, transaction amount is zero or negative |
Common schema-level validation errors
- Date format: Transaction dates must be in YYYY-MM-DD format. Entering dates as DD/MM/YYYY, DD-MM-YYYY, or with abbreviated month names will cause immediate rejection
- Currency code: Currency must be the ISO 4217 three-letter code — NGN for naira, USD for US dollars, GBP for pounds sterling. Writing "Naira", "N", "₦", or "Dollar" will fail validation
- Missing mandatory field: Fields marked as mandatory in the NFIU's goAML data dictionary cannot be left blank. Mandatory fields include party name, BVN or NIN (for Nigerian nationals), nationality, full address, transaction amount, and transaction date
- BVN format: BVN must be exactly 11 digits. Leading zeros must be preserved — do not strip them
- NIN format: NIN must be exactly 11 digits
- Address completeness: Address must include street, LGA (Local Government Area), state, and country — all four components are required
Common business-rule validation errors
- Predicate offense mismatch: The predicate offense selected does not match the STR category. For example, "drug trafficking" as the predicate for an "STR — Corruption" report type
- Missing indicator: A predicate offense has been selected but no indicator has been linked to it
- Indicator-predicate mismatch: The indicator selected does not appear in the list associated with the chosen predicate offense
- Transaction amount is zero: A transaction with an amount of zero is invalid. If the transaction was attempted but not completed, record the attempted amount
- Future transaction date: A transaction date in the future will fail business-rule validation
- Duplicate reference: Resubmitting a report under a reference number that has already been successfully accepted creates a duplicate flag
How to fix a failed validation
When goAML issues a rejection notice, it includes the field name and error description for each validation failure. The recommended process is:
- Open the rejection notice and identify every field cited — do not fix only the first error listed
- Go back to the source data for those fields and correct the underlying data, not just the report
- Resubmit the corrected report under the original reference number within the 24-hour correction window
- Confirm acceptance in goAML — a successful resubmission will show a confirmed receipt status, not a pending or failed status
- Update your internal case management record to reflect the correction and resubmission date
Frequently asked questions
Does a failed validation reset the submission window?
No. The submission window (96 hours for STR, 7 days for CTR) is based on when the triggering event occurred — not on when you first attempted to submit. If your report fails validation on the last day of the submission window, you have 24 hours to correct and resubmit, but the original window has already expired. This creates a late-filing record even if the corrected report is submitted within the 24-hour correction window.
Why do validation errors appear even when I think all fields are complete?
Most validation errors in practice are formatting errors rather than genuinely missing data. The most frequent cause is date format — a date that looks correct to a human (e.g. 15/06/2026) is invalid because goAML requires 2026-06-15. Similarly, a currency value that is correct as "NGN" is invalid if entered as "Naira". Check formatting against the NFIU's goAML data dictionary, not just against common sense.
Can goAML validation errors be prevented through automation?
Yes. Automated goAML submission systems validate data against the NFIU's schema before submission, catching formatting and completeness errors at source rather than after rejection. This eliminates the correction window risk entirely. The CBN's 2026 automated AML baseline standards effectively require this level of automation — manual goAML submission is not scalable for institutions with significant transaction volumes.