Nigeria Customs Cracks Down on Undeclared Cash Movement with Currency Declaration Regime

ZAINAB JUNAID

AS part of efforts to boost the country’s financial transparency, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has introduced a currency declaration regime to combat various anomalies associated with Nigerian travellers.

Several passengers have been intercepted with large amounts of undeclared foreign currency by the Agency, which raised concerns about the potential for money laundering and terrorism financing.

Undeclared Foreign Currency concealed in a yogurt pack at International Airport Abuja

Two outbound passengers going to India were caught with undeclared $29,000 cash by Officers of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Command on Tuesday, 8 July 2025; N654 million worth of undeclared foreign currencies was intercepted at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) also in July; a passenger arriving from Saudi Arabia with undeclared foreign currency worth $1,154,900 (One Million, One Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Nine Hundred US Dollars) and SR135,900 (One Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand, Nine Hundred Saudi Riyals) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) was intercepted by Officers of the Agency in March 2025; while on 20 March 2025, the NCS announced interception of another Undeclared $193,000 foreign currency concealed in a yogurt carton at Abuja International Airport.

Undeclared foreign currency worth $1,154,900 (One Million, One Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Nine Hundred US Dollars) and SR135,900 (One Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand, Nine Hundred Saudi Riyals) intercepted at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) by Officers of the Agency in March 2025

The anomalies of these unpatriotic passengers have raised questions about the effectiveness of current regulations by the present administration and the need for stricter measures to prevent financial crimes, which has sparked a crackdown on undeclared currency movements at Nigerian airports.

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in its efforts, vowed to strengthen its surveillance and enforcement measures to ensure it curtail the illegal activities of these unpatriotic travellers and also protect the country’s economy with the introduction of Currency Declaration Regime.

This Regime requires passengers to declare cash exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent when entering or leaving the country.

According to Assistant Comptroller of Customs from Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Salihu Safiyanu Mas’ud, Currency Declaration Regime was introduced to ensure that the sanctity of Nigeria financial system and the society is protected from the illicit flow of funds that are being used by criminal networks to perpetrate illegal activities.

The Service commenced stakeholders awareness and sensitisation programme on the implementation of the policy, immediately it was introduced.

Assistant Comptroller of Customs from Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Salihu Safiyanu Mas’ud

AC Salihu made this known at the stakeholders’ sensitisation programme organised on travellers’ guide for currency declaration by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command on Tuesday, 8 July 2025.

He noted that the Service has been backed by law to enforce the currency declaration regime at all entry points.

“The currency declaration regime is ensuring that cross-border movement of cash is monitored. Travellers across our borders, land, air, and sea, are mandated by the relevant provisions to make declarations to the Nigerian Customs Service when they are in possession of cash or currencies above 10,000 USD or equivalent,” he said. “However, travellers with less than 10,000 USD are exempted by law to make these declarations. But once you have in excess of 10,000 USD or equivalent in other denominations, as well as other negotiable instruments, you are expected to declare to the Nigerian Customs Service. And the Nigerian Customs Service is also mandated by law to pass this information to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, the Central Bank, and other competent agencies, of course, for some other statutory responsibilities”.

“So in the discharge of this currency declaration regime, the Nigerian Customs Service has an approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that guides its operation in the administration of this currency declaration regime,” he stated.

Salihu further informed that the Service has collaborated with relevant stakeholders, particularly the Airline Operators of Nigeria to ensure efficiency of the regime.

He enjoined the Airline Operators to educate their passengers on the laws guiding currency declaration stating, “In the SOP, travellers are expected to be informed of the responsibility they have. It’s not everybody that comes to Nigeria for the first time that knows our laws. They should be informed of the laws before they are expected to obey it. During landing operations, announcement are expected to be made by airlines. They are to constantly remind passengers during landing operations to declare their negotiable instruments and cash in excess of $10,000 or equivalent to NCS.

“The airlines are also expected to transmit electronic copies of their passengers’ manifest including full names, countries, destination details. All these requests are backed by relevant laws including NCS Act and NCAA Act.

Cross Section of Participants at the Sensitisation programme organised by the MMIA Command on Tuesday.

“It is when there is cordial relationship with the airline operators that we can have efficiency of this regime,” he emphasised.

While fielding questions from journalists, Salihu added that the sensitisation programme is a routine exercise to refresh the Service’s engagement with relevant stakeholders at the airport.

In his words, “The essence of the exercise all along is to ensure legitimate cross border travellers are given opportunity to fulfill their mandate of declaring their currency, so that we can be able to go after those criminals who are bent on violating the currency declaration regime. For the unpatriotic Nigerians, we are ready for them, we have admonished the Airlines Operators and we are now on the same page. We are telling the unpatriotic ones to stay away from Nigeria completely otherwise they will be made to face the full wrath of the law”.

Officials at the event also enjoined travellers to abide by the regulatory as failure to comply, can result in penalties including fines and prosecution.

With the new Currency Declaration Regime, the Nigeria Customs Service has reiterated commitment to implement a more robust system for tracking and monitoring currency movements, and travellers are urged to comply with requirements by declaring all foreign currency when entering or leaving the country.

It is hoped that the new regime will help Nigeria comply with international regulations and prevent financial crimes.