By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has pledged to sustain Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, describing the achievement as a major national milestone that requires continued vigilance and stronger institutional cooperation.
The Service gave the assurance at a stocktaking meeting held at its headquarters in Abuja on Monday, October 26, 2026, to prepare for Nigeria’s forthcoming Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) mutual evaluation.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was represented at the meeting by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Kikelomo Adeola.
Adeola said the meeting provided an opportunity to assess the country’s progress, identify outstanding weaknesses and develop strategies to sustain the gains recorded in strengthening its financial integrity framework.
“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, including the stocktaking exercise, aimed at preparing the country for a successful mutual evaluation.
“I believe Nigeria will never go back to that grey list,” Adeola declared.
The Customs deputy comptroller-general stressed that the Service occupied a strategic position in the country’s anti-money laundering efforts because of its responsibility for cross-border trade, cargo movements and the enforcement of border regulations.
However, she said Customs could not achieve the objectives alone, emphasising the need for collaboration among relevant institutions.
“A tree does not make a forest,” she said.
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 delegation and supporting the stocktaking exercise.
Sotande described the meeting as an opportunity to assess progress, identify outstanding gaps and strengthen institutional readiness for the next evaluation of Nigeria’s implementation of international standards on combating financial crimes.
He said Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list in October 2025 was the outcome of collective efforts by relevant institutions, adding that the priority was now to demonstrate sustained effectiveness.
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“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 stressed that maintaining the gains would require continued cooperation, effective implementation of existing measures and the ability to demonstrate that the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing systems were working in practice.
Sotande said the NCS played an important role in Nigeria’s framework for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and the proliferation of weapons, beyond its traditional responsibilities of revenue generation, trade facilitation and border enforcement.
According to him, the Service’s access to trade records, import and export documents, cargo information and border intelligence provides valuable information that complements financial intelligence gathered by the NFIU.
“Customs plays a vital role in detecting suspicious transactions and activities across borders,” he said.
He explained that effective information sharing and coordinated enforcement could help authorities identify suspicious networks, trace illicit proceeds and take appropriate action against financial crimes.
“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 stocktaking exercise forms part of preparations for Nigeria’s next AML/CFT mutual evaluation, which will examine how effectively the country’s institutions implement relevant standards and protect the integrity of its financial system.
The Customs Service reaffirmed its commitment to working with the NFIU and other relevant agencies to strengthen enforcement, improve information sharing and prevent the reversal of progress made in combating illicit financial activities.
