The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has hosted a delegation from the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Mentoring Mission to assess Nigeria’s capacity to combat cross-border financial crimes.

The delegation visited the NIS headquarters in Abuja as part of efforts to evaluate the country’s institutional capacity and inter-agency collaboration in tackling illicit financial flows.

The delegation, led by Mr. Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, was received on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mrs Kemi Nandap, by Deputy Comptroller of Immigration D.N. Olanrewaju, Senior Assistant to the Comptroller-General on Foreign Desk, alongside members of the NIS AML/CFT team and other relevant officers.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the NIS Service Public Relations Officer, DCI A.S. Akinlabi, said the assessment reviewed the Service’s institutional capacity, operational frameworks and mechanisms for combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

It said particular attention was given to the effectiveness of the Service’s border management architecture, migration control systems and intelligence capabilities in identifying and responding to cross-border security threats.

The statement added that discussions examined existing coordination and information-sharing arrangements among relevant national authorities, particularly the NIS and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in addressing cross-border threats.

It said the engagement also explored areas for improving institutional capacity, technical cooperation and operational collaboration to strengthen Nigeria’s response to money laundering and terrorism financing.

According to the statement, the engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s institutional capacity and multi-agency coordination in combating illicit financial flows and terrorism financing.

It also highlighted the strategic role of the NIS in safeguarding national and regional security through effective border management, intelligence gathering and collaboration with relevant agencies.

The WCO mentoring mission is focused on assessing institutional capabilities and identifying areas where technical support and improved inter-agency cooperation could enhance the effectiveness of Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures.

The statement was signed by Akinlabi at the NIS headquarters in Abuja on Oct. 27.