The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has reiterated the Service’s critical role in curbing illicit financial flows (IFFs), emphasizing its commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders and strengthening financial transparency.
Speaking at the opening of the Nationall Conference on Combating Illicit Financial Flows on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Abuja, CG Adeniyi stated that Customs played a frontline role in monitoring cross-border movement of funds and negotiable instruments. He noted that enforcement of declaration protocols has been significantly improved.
“In the last six months, Customs has tightened loose ends at all our borders to ensure that declaration protocols are diligently implemented,” Adeniyi said.
He also pointed out that Nigeria’s forthcoming assessment by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) required collaboration among all relevant stakeholders including Customs, tax authorities, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and others to effectively tackle IFFs.
Also addressing the gathering, the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Anite, said the federal government is pursuing comprehensive reforms to shift reliance from volatile oil revenues to more sustainable, non-oil sources, particularly taxation.
She stressed the importance of strengthening the tax system to create “a more inclusive and accountable fiscal framework capable of funding national development, reducing debt dependency, and ensuring all sectors contribute fairly to growth.”
The conference brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to develop actionable strategies for combating illicit financial activities and boosting national revenue.
