Customs Vows to Sustain Nigeria’s Gains in Anti-Money Laundering Fight
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has pledged to sustain Nigeria’s gains in combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, warning against any reversal of the progress that led to the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Kikelomo Adeola, gave the assurance on Monday at a stocktaking meeting held at the Customs headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting was convened to assess Nigeria’s preparedness for its next Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) mutual evaluation.
Adeola described the exercise as a critical opportunity to review the country’s progress, identify outstanding gaps and strengthen measures to preserve the achievements recorded so far.
“It is an opportunity to take an honest look at the progress Nigeria has made so far, identify the gaps that presently exist and ensure that Nigeria’s achievements are sustained,” she said.
She warned that failure to consolidate the gains could undermine previous efforts, adding that Nigeria must remain committed to strengthening its anti-money laundering framework.
Adeola also commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for its initiatives and preparatory activities aimed at ensuring a smooth and successful mutual evaluation.
“I believe Nigeria will never go back to that grey list,” she declared.
She emphasised the strategic role of the Customs Service in safeguarding the country’s borders and facilitating legitimate trade, noting that the fight against illicit financial activities requires coordinated efforts among relevant institutions.
“A tree does not make a forest,” she said, underscoring the importance of inter-agency cooperation in addressing financial crimes.
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Speaking on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar, the Chief Operations Officer, Law Enforcement Support and Coordination, Emmanuel Sotande, thanked the Customs Service for hosting the meeting and facilitating discussions with delegates and assessors.
Sotande said the stocktaking exercise would help stakeholders evaluate progress, identify remaining deficiencies and strengthen institutional readiness for the forthcoming assessment.
He explained that the evaluation would examine how effectively relevant institutions implement the standards designed to protect Nigeria’s financial system from money laundering, terrorism financing and other illicit financial activities.
“Nigeria’s exit from the FATF grey list in October 2025 was a significant achievement that we all achieved by working together,” he said, adding that the priority now was to sustain the progress and demonstrate its long-term effectiveness.
Sotande noted that the Customs Service’s responsibilities extend beyond revenue collection, trade facilitation and border enforcement to include supporting the country’s broader anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.
According to him, the Service’s access to import and export documentation, cargo records, trade information and border intelligence positions it to identify suspicious cross-border transactions and activities.
He said these capabilities complement the financial intelligence gathered by the NFIU and could strengthen the detection of illicit financial networks when effectively integrated.
“When these capabilities are effectively connected through timely information sharing and coordinated action, we are better positioned to identify suspicious networks, trace illicit proceeds and support appropriate enforcement measures,” he added.
The meeting forms part of broader efforts to strengthen institutional cooperation, address implementation gaps and demonstrate the sustainability of Nigeria’s progress ahead of its next AML/CFT mutual evaluation.
By PRNigeria
