By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

In the last six months, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS has intensified efforts to close all loose ends across the country’s borders, ensuring that declaration protocols are strictly adhered to.

Comptroller‑General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adeniyi, revealed, while emphasising the vital role of the NCS in fighting illicit financial flows, IFFs during the opening session of the National Conference on Combating Illicit Financial Flows in Abuja.

According to a statement from the service, Adeniyi stated that Customs’ daily operations include tight monitoring of cross-border movements in cash and negotiable instruments, enforcing mandatory declarations above threshold values.

He stated: “In the last six months, Customs has tightened loose ends at all our borders to ensure that declaration protocols are diligently implemented”.

Highlighting the complexity of illicit financial flows, Adeniyi stressed that the forthcoming Financial Action Task Force, FATFassessment requires a whole-of-society approach, involving Customs, tax authorities, EFCC, and other agencies working collaboratively.

Minister of State for Finance, Doris Anite, told delegates that Nigeria relied heavily on volatile oil revenue for decades, adding that current reforms recognise the urgent need to diversify revenue base, shifting focus to non-oil, particularly tax.

By strengthening tax systems, she asserted that “the participating members should create a more inclusive and accountable fiscal framework capable of funding national development, reducing debt dependency, and ensuring all sectors contribute fairly to growth”.