Customs, EFCC, NDLEA partner to tackle money laundering, terrorism financing

The Nigeria Customs Service has stepped up efforts to tackle cross-border money laundering, terrorism financing and other financial crimes by seeking stronger intelligence sharing and operational cooperation with six security and regulatory agencies.

The agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, are expected to strengthen coordinated action against illicit financial flows and criminal networks operating across Nigeria’s borders.

The initiative also involves the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser.

A statement issued by the customs spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, on Sunday said the collaboration followed a three-day engagement by the Customs Service with the agencies between October 27 and 29, 2026, as part of efforts to address weaknesses in information sharing and improve the detection of suspicious cross-border transactions.

The exercise was led by the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shuaibu, who said the engagement was designed to improve coordination among institutions responsible for tackling financial crimes and threats to national security.

Shuaibu said the initiative would go beyond routine consultations by examining practical Customs controls at border stations and strengthening cooperation among relevant agencies.

“The sole objective of this mission is to effectively detect and disrupt cross-border illicit financial flows. The measures include field visits to selected border stations to assess practical Customs control measures and engage with relevant agencies,” he said.

The engagement comes amid persistent concerns over the use of Nigeria’s borders for smuggling, drug trafficking, movement of illicit funds and other transnational criminal activities.

Financial crimes and terrorism financing often involve complex networks that cut across different jurisdictions and require intelligence from multiple institutions. Customs officers, who monitor the movement of goods and cargoes across the country’s borders, are strategically positioned to identify suspicious trade transactions and movements that could be linked to criminal activities.

However, the effectiveness of such interventions depends largely on the ability of security and financial intelligence agencies to exchange information and act on shared intelligence.

Speaking during the engagement, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Intelligence Security Service Sector, Muhammed-Mustapha, commended the Customs Service for its role in border security and efforts to combat smuggling.

He described the relationship between both institutions as longstanding, noting that Customs was among the earliest agencies to collaborate with the financial intelligence unit when it was established.

“When NFIU was created, NCS was the first to collaborate with us. No particular agency understands things better than how Customs does globally,” Mustapha said.

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The World Customs Organisation mentoring team, led by Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, also participated in the engagements, sharing approaches to combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

The team urged stronger collaboration with the Customs Service, stressing the importance of coordinated institutional responses to financial crimes.

Despite the renewed commitment, the discussions exposed some challenges that could undermine the proposed cooperation.

Participants identified communication gaps, bureaucratic bottlenecks and concerns over database privacy as some of the obstacles affecting information sharing among government agencies.

The agencies subsequently examined ways to address the problems and improve institutional coordination to ensure that intelligence could be exchanged and acted upon more efficiently. The engagement also featured the presentation of Nigeria Customs Service awards and World Customs Organisation certificates to participating agencies in recognition of their contributions to the initiative.

Meanwhile, the Customs Service has also taken its modernisation programme to the international stage, showcasing its digital transformation efforts and the deployment of emerging technologies to improve border management and facilitate legitimate trade.

The Service presented its reforms at the World Customs Organisation Smart Customs Project Global Event 2026, held at the WCO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, from October 29 to 30.

Represented by an Assistant Comptroller, Omolara Adedeji, the NCS highlighted its Unified Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu, alongside its investments in artificial intelligence, data analytics and electronic cargo tracking.

In a presentation titled, “Nigeria Customs Service: The Journey Towards Smart Customs,” she said the modernisation programme was aimed at improving operational efficiency, strengthening risk management and making trade processes more transparent.

“The NCS is undergoing a deliberate transition from traditional Customs operations towards integrated digital operations. Through the Service’s Modernisation Project, we are strengthening automation, electronic processing and data-driven decision-making to build a more efficient, responsive and technology-driven Customs administration,” she said.

Adedeji identified smart technology and smart data as the two major pillars of Nigeria’s Smart Customs vision. She explained that smart technology involved automation, integrated systems, digital platforms and modern information and communications technology infrastructure, while smart data focused on intelligence-led interventions, data-driven risk management, analytics and improved information sharing.

The presentation also highlighted B’Odogwu, the Unified Customs Management System, as a major component of the modernisation programme. The platform is designed to support automated Customs procedures, electronic processing and improved engagement with government agencies and private-sector operators.