The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has taken another bold step toward advancing intelligence-driven border management, as it kicked off a five-day National Training Seminar on Intelligence and the Instruments and Tools of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) on Monday, October 6, 2025, in Abuja.
The training, organised under the Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILO) for West and Central Africa, brought together senior customs intelligence officers, international facilitators, and WCO experts. The programme aims to deepen participants’ understanding of modern enforcement techniques, data analysis, and intelligence-sharing mechanisms that support national and regional security.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG) in charge of Strategic Research and Policy, Dera Nnadi, described intelligence as “the cornerstone of modern border protection.”
“In a world where illicit trade, terrorism financing, and cyber-enabled crimes are constantly evolving, intelligence-led enforcement has become not just a necessity but a cornerstone of national security,” Nnadi stated.
He reiterated the Service’s commitment to enhancing its intelligence framework through collaboration with the WCO and RILO offices. This, he said, will be achieved by leveraging global instruments like the Customs Enforcement Network (CEN) and the SAFE Framework of Standards, along with advanced data analytics tools, to strengthen enforcement efficiency.
“The knowledge gained here must translate into practical strategies that strengthen risk analysis, improve profiling techniques, and promote data-driven enforcement decisions,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Amadou Cissé, Head of RILO West Africa, commended the NCS for its proactive reforms and congratulated CGC Adeniyi on his recent election as President of the WCO Council — an achievement he described as “a testament to Nigeria’s rising influence in global customs administration.”
“This seminar underscores the importance of the Customs Enforcement Network and other WCO instruments in combating illicit trade, terrorism financing, and organised crime,” Cissé said.
Throughout the week, participants have been engaging in intensive sessions on data analysis using the WCO CEN platform, intelligence-sharing techniques, and regional risk management. By the close of the seminar, officers are expected to sharpen their analytical skills and design renewed strategies to curb cross-border crimes through collaborative, intelligence-led approaches.
The NCS continues to demonstrate its resolve to modernise operations, strengthen intelligence capacity, and reinforce Nigeria’s leadership role in regional customs cooperation.
