By Sabiu Abdullahi
In an effort to bolster the fight against money laundering and improve border control measures, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with relevant security and regulatory agencies, has conducted a sensitisation programme for international airline operators at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The exercise, which took place on 5 July 2025, focused on educating airline staff about Nigeria’s currency declaration policies and their role in supporting compliance efforts.
Participants were reminded of the need to inform passengers—both arriving and departing—about existing regulations concerning cash movement across borders.
Authorities reiterated that individuals carrying more than $10,000 or its equivalent must declare the funds to customs officials.
They warned that failing to do so could lead to the confiscation of the money, followed by investigation and possible prosecution under the nation’s anti-money laundering laws.
The session also outlined the requirement for airlines to submit electronic manifests (e-Manifests) ahead of landing. These manifests must include comprehensive passenger details such as full names, flight numbers, and countries of origin and destination.
Officials said this data enables customs personnel and intelligence units to conduct targeted risk assessments and enhance overall border monitoring.
Leading the session was Salihu Mas’ud, Assistant Comptroller of Customs and head of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit.
He noted the progress already made by the Service in improving compliance mechanisms and expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation from airline operators.
“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 further 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 Nigeria Customs Service described the initiative as a crucial step toward preventing illicit financial flows, including terrorism financing and the smuggling of undeclared funds.
It also noteed that continuous collaboration among airlines, airport managers, and enforcement agencies will be vital to sustaining the gains recorded so far.