Nigeria’s Customs Service is facing a fresh push to tighten the net on money laundering and terrorism financing, as a US-funded World Customs Organisation (WCO) mission begins a four-week drive to strengthen the agency’s financial crime detection capabilities.
The mission, running until 13 November, will train officers in Abuja and Lagos, visit selected Customs formations and engage relevant agencies to improve the tracking and disruption of illicit financial flows across Nigeria’s borders.
Inaugurating the exercise on Monday, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi warned that progress against financial crimes depends on stronger cooperation among government agencies, citing Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list in 2025.
He stressed that gains made by one institution would count for little without corresponding improvements across the wider financial crime enforcement system.
WCO delegation member Jorge Lasmar said the exercise was designed to build operational capacity, not assess NCS’ performance.
The team will share international expertise and submit a report at the end of the mission.
Funded by the US Department of State, the initiative highlights growing international efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s ability to detect illicit financial networks linked to organised crime and terrorism.
