Customs Vows to Sustain Anti-Money Laundering Fight 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 terrorism financing, warning that stronger institutional collaboration is necessary to prevent a reversal of its achievements.
The Service described Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as a significant national achievement, stressing the need to strengthen existing measures ahead of the country’s 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, stated this on Monday, October 26, 2026, during a stocktaking meeting at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.
Adeola said the meeting provided an opportunity to assess the country’s progress, identify outstanding gaps and develop strategies to sustain the gains recorded in strengthening Nigeria’s financial integrity.
She commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for its initiatives and programmes aimed at preparing the country for a successful mutual evaluation.
According to her, maintaining the country’s progress requires continuous assessment, improved coordination and a commitment to addressing existing weaknesses.
“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.
Expressing confidence in the country’s ability to maintain its progress, Adeola declared: “I believe Nigeria will never go back to that grey list.”
She also emphasised the strategic role of the Customs Service in combating illicit financial activities, particularly through its responsibilities for border enforcement, trade facilitation and the movement of goods.
However, she noted that the Service could not achieve the objective alone, stressing the importance of collaboration among relevant institutions.
“A tree does not make a forest,” she said.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar, represented by the Chief Operations Officer, Law Enforcement Support and Coordination, Emmanuel Sotande, thanked the NCS for hosting the meeting and contributing to discussions on Nigeria’s preparedness for the next evaluation.
Sotande described the stocktaking exercise as an important opportunity to review progress, identify remaining gaps and strengthen collective readiness for an assessment of how effectively Nigerian institutions implement international standards for protecting the country’s financial system.
He said Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list was the result of collective efforts by relevant institutions, adding that sustaining the achievement would require continued cooperation and demonstrable effectiveness.
“Nigeria’s exit from the FATF grey list in October 2025 was a significant achievement that we all achieved by working together,” he said.
Sotande explained that the Customs Service’s contribution to the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework extends beyond revenue generation, trade facilitation and border security.
He noted that access to trade records, import and export documentation, cargo information and border intelligence places the NCS in a strategic position to detect suspicious cross-border activities.
According to him, linking these capabilities with financial intelligence gathered by the NFIU would improve the identification of suspicious networks, the tracing of illicit proceeds and the implementation of appropriate enforcement measures.
“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 and ensure Nigeria remains prepared for its next AML/CFT mutual evaluation.
