Customs Reaffirms Commitment to Fight Money Laundering Ahead of Nigeria’s Next Mutual Evaluation
…Says Sustaining FATF Grey List Exit Requires Collective Effort
By Queen Abayomi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining Nigeria’s progress in the fight against money laundering and other financial crimes, following the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.
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The Service described the achievement as a major national milestone and stressed the need for continued collaboration among relevant institutions to prevent a reversal of the progress made.
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, 26 October 2025, during a stocktaking meeting at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting was organised as part of preparations for Nigeria’s forthcoming third-round Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) mutual evaluation.
Speaking at the meeting, Adeola said the exercise provided an opportunity to review the country’s progress, identify existing gaps and determine the steps needed to sustain the gains recorded in strengthening its anti-money laundering framework.
She described the meeting as more than a review of policies and procedures, noting that it was an important opportunity to assess the country’s achievements and chart a clear path forward.
“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.
Adeola commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for its various initiatives and programmes, including the stocktaking exercise, aimed at ensuring Nigeria is adequately prepared for a successful third-round mutual evaluation.
Expressing confidence in the country’s ability to maintain its progress, she declared, “I believe Nigeria will never go back to that grey list.”
She also highlighted the strategic role of the NCS in safeguarding Nigeria’s borders and facilitating legitimate trade, stressing that the fight against financial crimes requires cooperation among relevant agencies.
“A tree does not make a forest,” she said, emphasising the importance of collective efforts in achieving the country’s anti-money laundering objectives.
In his remarks, 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 welcoming the delegates and assessors and for the reflections shared during the engagement.
Sotande described the stocktaking meeting as an important opportunity to measure progress, identify outstanding gaps and strengthen the collective readiness of relevant institutions ahead of the next mutual evaluation.
He explained that the assessment would examine how effectively institutions implement the standards designed to protect Nigeria’s financial system and integrity.
According to him, Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list was a product of collective commitment and cooperation among the institutions involved in addressing deficiencies in the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.
“Nigeria’s exit from the FATF grey list in October 2025 was a significant achievement that we all achieved by working together,” he said, adding that the priority now was to sustain the progress and demonstrate lasting effectiveness.
Sotande further noted that the Nigeria Customs Service contributes significantly to the country’s anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and counter-proliferation efforts beyond its traditional responsibilities of revenue collection, trade facilitation and border enforcement.
“Customs plays a vital role in detecting suspicious transactions and activities across borders,” he said.
He explained that the Service’s access to trade records, import and export documentation, cargo information and border intelligence provides valuable information that complements the financial intelligence gathered by the NFIU.
Sotande added that effective coordination and timely information sharing between both institutions would strengthen their ability to detect suspicious networks, trace illicit proceeds and support appropriate enforcement actions.
He stressed that connecting trade-related intelligence with financial intelligence remains essential to identifying and responding to activities associated with money laundering and other financial crimes.
The meeting forms part of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, address existing gaps and demonstrate the effectiveness of its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures ahead of the forthcoming mutual evaluation.
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper October 28th, 2026
