The Nigeria Customs Service has pledged to sustain efforts against money laundering and terrorist financing as Nigeria prepares for a 2027 assessment of its safeguards against financial crime.
The customs comptroller-general, Adewale Adeniyi, said agencies must address outstanding gaps to sustain the progress that secured Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list in October 2025.
According to a Tuesday statement by the service, he spoke through the deputy comptroller-general in charge of finance, administration and technical services, Kikelomo Adeola, at a stocktaking meeting at the customs headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
The meeting reviewed Nigeria’s progress and preparations for its next mutual evaluation, which will assess the effectiveness of measures against money laundering and terrorist financing.
“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,” Ms Adeola said.
Nigeria was placed under increased monitoring in February 2023 over weaknesses in its safeguards against money laundering and terrorist financing.
The FATF removed the country from the list on October 24, 2025, after it completed an agreed action plan. The watchdog said Nigeria should continue working with the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa to sustain the improvements.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit has scheduled preparations around a 2027 mutual evaluation, saying the assessment will focus on evidence that financial intelligence produces investigations, prosecutions and other measurable results.
Ms Adeola said customs’ responsibility for border enforcement and legitimate trade placed it in a strategic position to support the effort. She stressed, however, that success required interagency cooperation.
The NFIU chief executive, Hafsat Bakari, was represented by Emmanuel Sotande, its chief operations officer for law enforcement support and coordination, who said Nigeria must demonstrate that the reforms behind its removal from the grey list are producing lasting results.
Mr Sotande said customs’ contribution extended beyond revenue collection and trade facilitation. Its access to trade records, import and export documents, cargo information and border intelligence could help agencies detect suspicious activities and trace criminal 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 said.
He said the stocktaking exercise would help agencies assess progress, identify remaining weaknesses and strengthen preparations for the evaluation.