…Sets target for anti-laundering, terrorism evaluation

THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has described the Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025 as a major national milestone, pledging to ensure gains are permanently preserved.

Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this in Abuja at a stocktaking meeting ahead of an upcoming Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) mutual evaluation.
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, DCG Kikelomo Adeola, the CGC emphasised that proactive measures are vital to prevent any regression from hard won gains.

In a statement by the agency s national spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, he noted that the upcoming evaluation “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.”
Adeniyi commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for spearheading initiatives to streamline the evaluation process, declaring with optimism, “I believe Nigeria will never go back to that grey list.”

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar, represented by Emmanuel Sotande, lauded the NCS for its collaborative posture, noting that Customs plays a frontline role in detecting cross-border financial crimes.
Abubakar said “Customs plays a vital role in detecting suspicious transactions and activities across borders.”
She explained that trade documentation and border intelligence effectively complement financial data to trace illicit proceeds.