In its bid to strengthen anti-money laundering efforts, the Nigeria Customs Service, in collaboration with other law enforcement and regulatory agencies, held a sensitisation exercise for international airline operators.
According to a statement on Monday by the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, the event took place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Maiwada stressed that the session aimed to raise awareness on the importance of enforcing Nigeria’s currency declaration laws among inbound and outbound travellers.
He added that the session also addressed the role of airline personnel in ensuring compliance, particularly in reminding passengers about declaration requirements through in-flight announcements, distributing forms, and cooperating 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,” Maiwada said.
The NCS’s image maker highlighted that 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.”
Earlier, the Assistant Comptroller of Customs in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Salihu Mas’ud, who led the engagement, expressed confidence in the outcomes.
According to him, the NCS has already implemented several operational tools to support effective enforcement. “What we have achieved so far is to be able to sensitise them. We have 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 that the service expects higher compliance, stressing that the NCS will strengthen its 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,” he said.
