In a strategic move to reinforce Nigeria’s anti-money laundering regime, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has extended its enforcement campaign to the aviation sector with a sensitisation session for international airline operators at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on July 5, 2025.
The exercise, held in collaboration with other law enforcement and regulatory bodies, was designed to educate airline personnel on their critical role in enforcing Nigeria’s currency declaration laws, especially regarding inbound and outbound passengers.
Airline operators were urged to support compliance through inflight announcements, distribution of declaration forms, and cooperation during customs procedures. The Customs Service reiterated that any passenger carrying over $10,000 or its equivalent must declare the funds to avoid seizure, investigation, or prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-money laundering legislation.
Key aspects of the sensitisation also included the mandatory electronic submission of flight manifests (e-Manifests) ahead of arrival. These manifests are expected to contain detailed passenger information—names, countries of origin and destination, and flight numbers—to aid in targeted customs risk assessments and improved surveillance.
Leading the initiative was Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Salihu Mas’ud, who heads the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Unit. He commended the cooperation of airline operators and outlined the operational structures already in place to support compliance.
“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,” Mas’ud said.
He added that the new compliance measures would enhance border security and increase the detection and prosecution of violators.
“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,” he stated.
The Customs Service stressed that this proactive engagement demonstrates the importance of inter-agency collaboration in combating financial crimes, smuggling, and terrorism financing. With illicit financial flows posing a growing threat to national security, officials reaffirmed that ongoing partnerships with airlines, airport authorities, and intelligence agencies remain essential to protecting Nigeria’s borders.
