NCS, airline operators partner to strengthen currency declaration laws

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has partnered with other law enforcement and regulatory agencies to sensitize international airline operators on the importance of enforcing Nigeria’s currency declaration laws, aimed at strengthen anti-money laundering efforts and to prevent illicit financial flows.

The sensitization held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last Friday 5 July 2025 aimed at raising awareness on the importance of enforcing Nigeria’s currency declaration laws among inbound and outbound travellers. It addressed the role of airline personnel in ensuring compliance, especially in reminding passengers about declaration requirements through in-flight announcements, form distribution, and cooperation during customs checks.

Officials at the session emphasized that passengers carrying over $10,000 or its equivalent must declare the funds to the authorities. Failure to comply can result in seizure, investigation, and prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.

The NCS also highlighted the importance of submitting electronic manifests and complete passenger details before aircraft arrival, which enables targeted risk assessments and enhances border surveillance.

Assistant Comptroller of Customs Salihu Mas’ud, who led the engagement, expressed confidence in the outcomes, citing the implementation of operational tools to support effective enforcement. He noted that the service has dedicated search rooms, posts for currency declarations, and public address system announcements in place.

“What we have achieved so far is to be able to sensitise them. We’ve gone round to check all the points. We have dedicated search rooms for secondary searches. There are dedicated posts for currency declarations, and they are in place. Announcements are also being made on the Public Address System. We have also gotten the commitment of the airline operators to ensure that these announcements are also being made on board their flights,” he said.

He added, “We expect higher compliance, and it will strengthen our enforcement mechanism. It also ensures that defaulters and violators of currency declarations are detected promptly and forwarded for necessary investigation and prosecution.”

The sensitization session underscored the significance of inter-agency collaboration in securing Nigeria’s borders and preventing illicit financial flows. The NCS emphasized that sustained partnerships with airline operators, airport authorities, and intelligence agencies are crucial to its success in combating terrorism financing and smuggling of undeclared funds.