The Nigeria Customs Service is broadening its approach to border enforcement by combining intelligence, technology and strategic partnerships in efforts to curb smuggling and strengthen trade facilitation.
The Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this during an engagement with executives of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria, AMJON.
Aliyu said; “the service could no longer rely on conventional enforcement methods, stressing the need for innovative techniques and modern tools to effectively respond to increasingly sophisticated smuggling activities.”
He explained that intelligence-driven enforcement was a major component of the NCS strategy, but not the only line of enforcement being pursued by the Service.
According to him, Customs is deploying intelligence, technology, risk-assessment systems and other modern tools to improve its ability to identify and intercept illicit consignments while allowing legitimate cargo to move seamlessly.
He said the approach was particularly important to prevent enforcement measures from negatively affecting trade flows, stating that cargo throughput and turnaround time remained important considerations for the service.
The Comptroller stressed that the deployment of risk-based systems would enable Customs to focus attention on high-risk cargo instead of subjecting all consignments to cumbersome procedures.
Aliyu said abandoning the emerging digital and technology-driven systems in favour of analogue processes would make Customs operations more complicated and undermine efforts to align the Service with international best practices.
He described the ongoing transformation as a deliberate effort to ensure that the NCS remains responsive to contemporary realities and capable of meeting the demands of modern trade.
The Comptroller said the reforms would also strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for the opportunities and challenges associated with the African Continental Free Trade Area ,AfCFTA,
With trade volumes expected to increase across the continent, he said Nigeria needed efficient Customs systems capable of supporting faster movement of legitimate goods while maintaining effective controls against illicit trade.
On stakeholder engagement, Aliyu said the Nigeria Customs Service was gradually moving beyond conventional inter-agency collaboration towards strategic partnerships.
He described the interaction with AMJON as part of the new approach, stressing that stronger partnerships with stakeholders were essential to improving Customs operations, enforcement and trade facilitation.
