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US Funds Four-Week WCO Mission To Boost Customs’ Fight Against Money Laundering, Terror Financing
By Prince Benson Davies
In a major boost to Nigeria’s fight against cross-border financial crimes, the United States Department of State is funding a four-week intensive mentoring mission by the World Customs Organisation, WCO, to strengthen the capacity of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, in tackling money laundering and terrorism financing.
The mission, which was formally inaugurated on Monday, 19 October 2026, at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, is themed Strengthening Nigeria Customs Service Capabilities to Effectively Detect and Disrupt Illicit Financial Flows.
The four-week exercise, which will run from 18 October to 13 November 2026, is designed to enhance the Service’s expertise in detecting and disrupting illicit financial flows through improved intelligence, training and inter-agency collaboration.
As part of the programme, the WCO team will visit selected Customs formations in Lagos and engage key allied agencies, while also conducting capacity-building training sessions for officers in both Lagos and Abuja.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC, Adewale Adeniyi, underscored the importance of coordinated and sustained efforts in combating money laundering and terrorism financing.
He recalled the comprehensive reforms undertaken by various government agencies which culminated in Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, grey list in 2025, describing the achievement as a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to global financial standards.
The CGC stressed that progress recorded by one institution must be matched by improvements in others, noting that the fight against illicit financial flows requires strong collaboration across all relevant agencies.
He assured the visiting delegation of the full cooperation of officers and men of the Service, expressing confidence in their passion and competence.
According to him, 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.
Following his remarks, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Strategic Research and Policy, S and RP, Nafiu Isiaku, introduced members of the WCO delegation comprising Jorge Lasmar, Lisa Vallese and Laurent Szymkowiak.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Lasmar clarified the purpose of the visit, stating that the mission is not an assessment of Customs operations, but rather an engagement targeted at further strengthening the capacity and effectiveness of the Nigeria Customs Service.
He thanked the NCS leadership and the CGC for their guidance and warm reception, assuring that the delegation would submit a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations at the end of the mission.
The engagement is expected to further equip the Nigeria Customs Service with modern tools and global best practices to effectively detect, disrupt and dismantle networks involved in illicit financial flows and related cross-border crimes.
