Customs Pledges Sustained Fight Against Money Laundering Ahead of Nigeria’s Next FATF Evaluation

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has pledged to sustain the country’s progress in combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, warning that continued collaboration among relevant institutions will be critical to preventing a reversal of Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

The Service described Nigeria’s removal from the international financial watchdog’s grey list on 24 October 2025 as a major national achievement, stressing the need to consolidate the gains as the country prepares for its next Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) mutual evaluation.

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, 26 October 2026, at a stocktaking meeting held at the Customs headquarters in Abuja.

The meeting brought together relevant stakeholders to assess Nigeria’s progress in implementing measures to combat financial crimes, identify outstanding gaps and strengthen the country’s preparedness for the forthcoming mutual evaluation.

Adeola described the exercise as more than a review of existing policies and procedures, saying it provided an opportunity for stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of measures already implemented and determine areas requiring further improvement.

According to her, maintaining the progress achieved since Nigeria’s removal from the grey list requires an honest assessment of existing challenges and sustained commitment from all relevant institutions.

“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, because if they are not, it is like one step forward, two steps backwards, and that should not be our portion,” she said.

She commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for its initiatives and programmes designed to strengthen the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework, noting that the stocktaking exercise was part of efforts to ensure a smooth and successful third mutual evaluation.

Adeola expressed confidence that Nigeria would maintain its improved standing in the international financial system, declaring: “I believe Nigeria will never go back to that grey list.”

She also highlighted the strategic position of the Customs Service in the fight against illicit financial activities, particularly because of its responsibilities for cross-border trade, cargo monitoring and border enforcement.

However, she emphasised that the Service could not effectively address the challenges of money laundering and other financial crimes without the support and cooperation of other government institutions.

“A tree does not make a forest,” she said, underscoring the importance of inter-agency collaboration in identifying suspicious activities, exchanging intelligence and strengthening enforcement.

The NCS’s involvement in the process is significant because international trade can be exploited to move illicit funds and conceal the proceeds of crime through transactions involving the importation and exportation of goods.

Customs authorities can contribute to detecting such activities through the examination of trade documents, cargo information and cross-border movements, complementing the financial intelligence available to other enforcement agencies.

Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar, represented by the Chief Operations Officer, Law Enforcement Support and Coordination, Emmanuel Sotande, thanked the Customs Service for hosting the engagement and sharing its experiences with delegates and assessors.

Sotande said the meeting offered an opportunity to measure the progress recorded so far, identify unresolved challenges and strengthen Nigeria’s collective readiness for the next evaluation.

He explained that the forthcoming assessment would examine how effectively relevant institutions implement the standards and measures designed to protect the country’s financial system from abuse.

According to him, Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list in October 2025 resulted from the collective efforts of institutions and stakeholders involved in strengthening the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime.

“Nigeria’s exit from the FATF grey list in October 2025 was a significant achievement that we all achieved by working together,” he said.

He added that the priority now was to sustain the progress and demonstrate that the measures introduced by the country had translated into lasting and effective results.

Sotande stressed that the Customs Service’s responsibilities in combating money laundering, terrorism financing and the financing of proliferation extended beyond its traditional functions of revenue collection, trade facilitation and border enforcement.

He said the Service occupied an important position in identifying suspicious cross-border transactions and activities because of its access to information on imports, exports, cargo movements and trade documentation.

“Customs plays a vital role in detecting suspicious transactions and activities across borders,” he said.

According to him, the information available to Customs complements the financial intelligence gathered by the NFIU, creating opportunities for the two institutions and other relevant agencies to identify suspicious networks and trace the movement of illicit proceeds.

“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 emphasis on information sharing reflects the importance of connecting financial intelligence with evidence obtained through trade monitoring and border operations. 

Such cooperation can help authorities detect transactions that may appear legitimate on the surface but could be linked to money laundering, terrorism financing or other illicit activities.

Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list in October 2025 marked an important milestone in its efforts to strengthen its financial crime prevention framework and address concerns over weaknesses in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing systems.

Remaining off the list, however, requires continued implementation of international standards, effective enforcement and demonstrable results from the agencies responsible for detecting and investigating financial crimes.

The next mutual evaluation will therefore provide an opportunity to assess not only the policies and legal frameworks Nigeria has established but also the effectiveness of the institutions responsible for implementing them.

For the Customs Service, the exercise reinforces the need to strengthen its capacity to identify suspicious trade activities, improve intelligence-sharing arrangements and work closely with the NFIU and other relevant agencies.

The meeting also highlighted the broader responsibility facing Nigeria’s financial crime prevention institutions: ensuring that the progress achieved through coordinated reforms is sustained and that the country can demonstrate its continued commitment to protecting the integrity of its financial system.