The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a four-week international mentoring programme to strengthen its capacity to detect and disrupt money laundering, terrorism financing and other cross-border financial crimes.
The initiative, organised in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), is designed to improve the ability of Customs officers to identify illicit financial flows and strengthen cooperation with relevant law enforcement agencies.
The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Mentoring Mission was inaugurated at the NCS headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Funded by the United States Department of State, the programme will run from October 18 to November 13, 2026, featuring visits to selected Customs formations in Lagos and key partner agencies, alongside capacity-building sessions for officers in Lagos and Abuja.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts among government institutions in tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
He recalled reforms undertaken by Nigerian agencies that contributed to the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in 2025, stressing the need to sustain the progress through stronger institutional capacity and inter-agency cooperation.
According to him, progress made by one institution must be matched by improvements in other agencies responsible for combating financial crimes.
Adeniyi expressed confidence in the commitment and professionalism of Customs officers participating in the exercise, saying their cooperation would help maximise the benefits of the international engagement.
“Competent officers who have passion for the job will give you all the cooperation to ensure we learn from other Customs administrations regarding what we are doing and how we can do better,” he said.
The Customs boss noted that learning from the experiences of other administrations would help the Service identify areas for improvement and strengthen its response to evolving financial crimes.
Following his remarks, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Strategic Research and Policy, Nafiu Isiaku, introduced the WCO delegation comprising Jorge Lasmar, Lisa Vallese and Laurent Szymkowiak.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Lasmar clarified that the mission was not designed to assess or criticise the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service but to strengthen its capacity to combat illicit financial activities.
“The mission is not an assessment of Customs operations, but an engagement aimed at further strengthening the capacity of the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.
Lasmar thanked the NCS management and the Comptroller-General for their guidance and cooperation, assuring that the team would submit a comprehensive report at the end of the mentoring exercise.
The programme is expected to equip Customs officers with additional expertise, improve the detection of suspicious cross-border financial transactions and strengthen collaboration with agencies involved in combating money laundering and terrorism financing.
The initiative also underscores the importance of international partnerships in addressing financial crimes that exploit cross-border trade, commercial transactions and weaknesses in regulatory systems.
With activities scheduled across Abuja and Lagos, the four-week engagement is expected to provide practical guidance for improving the Service’s operational response to illicit financial flows and strengthening Nigeria’s broader anti-money laundering framework.
