In a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-money laundering efforts, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with other law enforcement and regulatory agencies, has held a sensitisation exercise for international airline operators at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The session, which held recently aimed to raise awareness on the importance of enforcing Nigeria’s currency declaration laws among inbound and outbound travellers. It addressed the role of airline personnel in ensuring compliance, especially in reminding passengers about declaration requirements through in-flight announcements, form distribution, and cooperation during customs checks.
Officials emphasised that any passenger carrying over the regulatory threshold, currently $10,000 or its equivalent, is required to make a declaration to the authorities. Failure to comply, they warned, could result in seizure, investigation, and prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.
Additional requirements discussed included the mandatory submission of electronic manifests (e-Manifests) before aircraft arrival, as well as complete passenger details such as names, countries of origin and destination, and flight numbers, stating that these records allow customs and security officers to conduct targeted risk assessments and enhance border surveillance operations.
Assistant Comptroller of Customs in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Salihu Mas’ud, led the engagement and expressed confidence in the outcomes. According to him, the Service has already implemented several operational tools to support effective enforcement.
“What we have achieved so far is to be able to sensitise them. We’ve gone round to check all the points. We have dedicated search rooms for secondary searches. There are dedicated posts for currency declarations, and they are in place. Announcements are also being made on the Public Address System. We have also gotten the commitment of the airline operators to ensure that these announcements are also being made on board their flights,” he said.
He added, “We expect higher compliance, and it will strengthen our enforcement mechanism. It also ensures that defaulters and violators of currency declarations are detected promptly and forwarded for necessary investigation and prosecution.”
The sensitisation session highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration in securing Nigeria’s borders and preventing illicit financial flows. With growing concerns over terrorism financing and smuggling of undeclared funds, the NCS said sustained partnerships with airline operators, airport authorities, and intelligence agencies will remain key to its success.
