As parts of efforts at ensuring that Nigeria exits the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Custom Service (NC$), on Thursday, announced series of upgrades and enhancements to facilities and documentations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
They both agreed to work together to improve the country’s security outlook as well as passengers facilitations at Nigeria’s airports.
To this end, Managing Director, FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku and Comptroller General, NCS, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, along with other officials, inspected the Lagos airport’s facilities, especially those of arrival and departure in readiness for the visit of FATF.
The FATF is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. It sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society.
FATF grey list identifies countries with strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering regimes.
Speaking during the tour on Thursday, Kuku said the inspection marks a lot of new moments in the program of the people of Nigeria, particularly a lot of our passengers across the airport, adding that the collaboration between the two government agencies is a testament of the growth and success recorded, not just both the Nigerian Customs Services and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, but also shows a dedication to improve passenger experience and to further enhance trade facilitation across our cargo terminals.
She said the deliberations after the tour focused on three key areas of concern.
“The first is that we worked closely in getting Nigeria off the grey list with other agencies of government, really to curb any sort of money laundering measures and illicit financial activities across our borders. Both agencies are working closely together on currency declaration, not just on departure, but also on arrival.
“Therefore, there is a notice to all of our passengers that are arriving or leaving the country to make sure they declare any currency above $10,000. A lot of the measures have been put in place. We’ve also enhanced our security screen in preparation for this and even just today, we spoke about how we can improve the passenger experience as an agency and as airport operators. We spoke largely around reducing the number of interfaces, some of which have been done by enhanced security screening procedures.”, she said.
The FAAN boss disclosed that the number of interfaces would further be reduced soon as approved by the CG.
“We also got the commitment from the Nigerian Custom Services through the CG today on further reducing the blockades while making sure that we keep the security at the highest level so that we can improve the passengers’ experience.”
Kuku further revealed some of the upgrades at the Cargo terminal.
“There is obviously increased activity across cargo terminals nationally and it calls for increased security present and improved experience, therefore, as you all know, we spent some time re-registering, including a lot of the operators who are working at our cargo shed so that there is better visibility and transparency as we bring sanity back to the cargo terminals across Nigeria.
“I want to spend this time to thank the Comptroller General and his team for the remarkable support that they have provided to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and the commitment that he has made in terms of how we can improve how we move the country forward, improve passenger experience, and have business facilitation.”, she added.
Responding, CG Adeniyi reiterated Kuku’s position, adding that collaboration will only yield expected results and not the other way round.
“Principally, the visit is focused around creating a shared understanding of our responsibility and our mandate, understanding our mandate towards national security. Of course, we know that all over the world, airport authorities are focused on working to provide aviation security..Customs, on the other hand, are focused around facilitating flight, connecting documentation, revenue, and of course, working on national security.
“In all of these, we believe that the passengers’ experience must not be compromised. And for Nigerians who have been traveling in the recent times,.me must have noticed the remarkable changes, the positive changes that has happened in all our airports. In terms of the structure, in terms of the processes, the infrastructure that has happened in the terminals, inwards and outwards, improvements in terms of passengers’ satisfaction and all of that. So, the intention of this is for us to build on this, consolidate and make sure that we even create something better for Nigerians and non-Nigerians that are using our airports.
Adeniyi, who underscored the importance of collaboration said : “I want us to explore ways in which we can deepen the collaboration that exists between Nigerian Customs Services and indeed all security agencies and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria.
“On the issue of exiting Nigeria from the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force, I am quite satisfied with the measures that have been put in place by FAAN. These measures, as she has said, include the provision of designated places where currency declarations can be made. I ‘m also happy to announce that as we are working towards exiting this list, Nigeria Customs Service has done a much higher by optimizing this process.
Ultimately, we will be hoping to merge the passenger declaration form, with the passenger arrival cards which the Nigerian Immigration Service has introduced, but in the meantime, we are happy with the structures that have been created, the structure provided both at the departure and arrival area by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria.”, he added.
He also disckised his assessment of the Cargo terminal, saying the Customs would support every move to improve export.
“While I was there, we also witnessed the fact that, announcements are being made at regular intervals, reminding passengers of their obligations to declare once they have a list above the threshold. Apart from what you saw at the passenger terminal, I was also at the cargo terminal. The meeting has created opportunities for us to discuss issues of mutual interest, issues of mutual concerns, between FAN and NCS and more importantly, we are happy that the time-lapse records are now giving emphasis on exports, we are here to support those efforts to ensure that we increase the volume and the quantity and the quality of exports that is coming out of our airports.”, he added.
