By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has strengthened its inter-agency collaboration with six federal government agencies to tackle cross-border illicit financial flows, money laundering, corruption, drug trafficking, terrorism financing and other transnational crimes threatening Nigeria’s economy and national security.
The initiative followed a three-day strategic engagement conducted between October 27 and 29, 2026, led by the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shuaibu.
The engagement focused on strengthening institutional cooperation, intelligence sharing and operational coordination among the agencies to improve the detection and disruption of financial crimes and other illicit activities across Nigeria’s borders.
The agencies involved include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Speaking during the engagements, Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to enhance inter-agency coordination in addressing threats to Nigeria’s economic stability and national security.
He explained that the exercise would involve practical assessments of Customs control measures at selected border stations, alongside engagements with relevant security and financial intelligence 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.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Intelligence Security Service Sector, Muhammed-Mustapha, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its contributions to the fight against smuggling and efforts to strengthen border security.
He also acknowledged the longstanding working relationship between both institutions, describing Customs as a strategic partner in financial intelligence and enforcement operations.
“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.
Meanwhile, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Mentoring Team, led by Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, engaged the participating agencies on strategies for strengthening Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) frameworks.
The team also emphasised the need for stronger institutional partnerships with the NCS to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
During the discussions, participants identified communication gaps, bureaucratic bottlenecks and concerns surrounding database privacy as some of the challenges undermining effective inter-agency cooperation.
They subsequently explored possible solutions to address the identified obstacles, improve information-sharing mechanisms and strengthen operational synergy among the institutions.
The three-day engagement also featured the presentation of NCS awards and WCO certificates to the participating agencies in recognition of their contributions and commitment to strengthening collaboration.
The initiative underscores the Nigeria Customs Service’s efforts to deepen strategic partnerships with relevant government institutions in tackling financial crimes, securing Nigeria’s borders and protecting the nation’s economy and national security.
