By Stella Odueme
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has inaugurated a four-week mentoring mission by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) to strengthen its capacity to detect and disrupt illicit financial flows.
The mission, themed “Strengthening Nigeria Customs Service Capabilities to Effectively Detect and Disrupt Illicit Financial Flows,” was inaugurated on Monday, October 19, 2026, at the NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Funded by the United States Department of State, the exercise will run from October 18 to November 13, 2026, featuring visits to selected Customs formations and key partner agencies in Lagos, as well as capacity-building training for officers in Lagos and Abuja.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, emphasised the need for stronger inter-agency collaboration to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Adeniyi recalled the reforms undertaken by government agencies that contributed to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in 2025, stressing the importance of sustaining the gains through continued cooperation among relevant institutions.
He noted that progress in one agency must be complemented by improvements in others to effectively tackle financial crimes.
The CGC expressed confidence in the commitment of officers participating in the exercise, saying they would cooperate with the WCO team to learn from other Customs administrations and identify areas for improvement.
“Competent officers who have passion for the job will give you all the cooperation to ensure we learn from other Customs administrations regarding what we are doing and how we can do better,” he said.
Earlier, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Strategic Research and Policy, Nafiu Isiaku, introduced the WCO delegation comprising Jorge Lasmar, Lisa Vallese and Laurent Szymkowiak.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Lasmar explained that the mission was designed to strengthen the Service’s operational capacity rather than assess its existing operations.
“The mission is not an assessment of Customs operations, but an engagement aimed at further strengthening the capacity of the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.
He thanked the NCS management and the Comptroller-General for their guidance and cooperation, assuring that the team would submit a comprehensive report at the conclusion of the exercise.
The mentoring mission is expected to enhance the expertise of Customs officers and strengthen collaboration with relevant agencies in detecting and disrupting illicit financial flows, particularly those linked to money laundering and the financing of terrorism.