To combat illicit trade and smuggling activities at key border points, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the deployment of artificial intelligence-powered scanners and forensic tools to tackle illicit trade.
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller General of the service announced this on Wednesday while speaking at the 4th World Customs Organisation (WCO) Donors Conference for the West and Central Africa Region in Abuja.
The conference brought stakeholders together to align support and investments towards customs modernization and regional integration with a themed “Partners Mobilisation Around Priority Projects in the WCO-WCA Region: A Genuine Pledge to Meet the Modernization Goals and Performance Targets of Member Customs Administrations”.
“The new technology-driven approach is part of a wider modernization strategy aimed at aligning the agency with global best practices, improving trade facilitation, and supporting the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
“We have started pilot implementation of several key initiatives, including AI-powered scanners and forensic tools to detect illicit trade. Over 5,000 officers have also undergone intensive training in technical areas tailored for regional use.
“Over 5,000 officers have been trained in recent months to strengthen enforcement capacity and modernize customs operations nationwide,” Adeniyi said.
The CG added that the Nigeria Customs will serve as a regional hub for capacity building, leveraging its WCO-recognized training centre in Abuja to host programmes for officers across West and Central Africa.
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