Nigeria Customs Partners Regulatory Agencies to Sensitise Int’l Airline Operators on Currency Declaration
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has partnered with other law enforcement and regulatory agencies to sensitise international airline operators on currency declaration.
The sensitisation exercise was held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, on July 5, 2025.
The session aimed to raise 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, particularly in reminding passengers about declaration requirements through in-flight announcements, form distribution, and cooperation during customs checks.
Officials emphasised that any passenger carrying over the regulatory threshold, currently $10,000 or its equivalent, is required to make a declaration to the authorities.
They warned that failure to comply could result in seizure, investigation, and prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.
Additional requirements discussed included the mandatory submission of electronic manifests (e-Manifests) before aircraft arrival, as well as the provision of complete passenger details such as names, countries of origin and destination, and flight numbers.
According to the officials, the information enables customs and security officers to conduct targeted risk assessments and enhance border surveillance operations.
The Assistant Comptroller of Customs in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Salihu Mas’ud, who led the engagement, expressed confidence in the outcomes.
AC Mas’ud stated that the Service has already implemented several operational tools to support effective enforcement.
“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 sensitisation session highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration in securing Nigeria’s borders and preventing illicit financial flows.
The NCS noted that sustained partnerships with airline operators, airport authorities, and intelligence agencies will remain key to its success in curbing terrorism financing and the smuggling of undeclared funds.
