By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Nigeria Customs Service has come up with a strategic alliance with the West Africa Security Project (WASP) to boost trade.
The collaboration, announced on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, aims to equip customs officers with enhanced security awareness for more efficient trade facilitation.
Speaking at the meeting held at the Customs Corporate Headquarters in Abuja, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, hailed the partnership as a important step towards combating smuggling and illegal trafficking.
Emphasising the significance of the initiative, CGC Bashir underscored its potential to empower officers to execute their security duties effectively.
Outlined within the collaboration are various benefits, including cargo profiling, handling of small arms and light weapons, and participation in global shield programmes targeting chemical and radioactive elements.
CGC Bashir also highlighted the opportunity for resource-sharing among stakeholders to foster synergy.
According to the CGC, “there is an existing project managed by the world bank that looks at the Lagos-Abidjan corridor whose aim is to promote trade facilition. Bringing in this new project that looks at the security aspect will boost our performances and potent a lot of opportunities for us.”
“We will be able to account for 60% of the GDP if we are able to cooperate effectively. This project requires the cooperation and collaboration of all the Customs administrations involved,” he added.
Moreover, the programme entails the active engagement of field officers in brainstorming sessions and knowledge exchange to identify smuggling routes and minimise illicit activities.
Terry Wall, the project manager of WASP, echoed the sentiment, emphasising the programme’s focus on identifying high-risk cargo, providing training in the national Customs Enforcement Network (nCEN), and delivering geospatial intelligence.
As the Nigeria Customs Service aligns with WASP, the collaboration signifies a concerted effort to fortify trade security, foster regional cooperation, and mitigate transnational threats, underscoring a commitment to safeguarding economic interests and promoting lawful commerce.