The Comptroller-General of Customs and Chairperson of the Council of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Adewale Adeniyi, made history on Monday, 23 March 2026, as he delivered the keynote address at the opening of the 46th Session of the WCO Enforcement Committee held at the organisation’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
The milestone event marked the first time in the Committee’s 43-year history that its opening session was jointly addressed by both the WCO Secretary-General, Ian Saunders, and the Council Chairperson. This unprecedented development not only underscored the growing strategic relevance of the Enforcement Committee but also positioned the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the centre of a defining moment in global Customs cooperation.
The session further highlighted a major shift in the Committee’s operational outlook, transitioning from a predominantly enforcement-focused platform to a policy-driven body addressing a wider spectrum of contemporary challenges. These include detection technologies, intelligence sharing, supply chain integrity, and trade-based money laundering, all within a more structured and forward-looking framework. The ongoing review of the Committee’s Terms of Reference, last updated in 2009, reflects efforts to align its governance with the realities of an increasingly complex global trade environment.
In his keynote address, the Comptroller-General commended Customs administrations worldwide for their sustained efforts to combat transnational organised crime. He emphasised the evolving nature of threats within global supply chains and the urgent need for coordinated, intelligence-led enforcement approaches. “Customs enforcement today is no longer about isolated seizures, it is about protecting the integrity of global trade,” he stated.
As part of its contribution to the session, the NCS is expected to present field-level perspectives on fragile border management, drawing from its operational experience as a frontline administration within one of Africa’s most demanding border environments. These insights are expected to enrich ongoing global discourse and strengthen policy considerations within the enforcement community.
The Comptroller-General concluded his address with a call for deeper collaboration among Customs administrations, noting that “when Customs administrations work together, enforcement becomes stronger, trade becomes safer, and the global economy becomes more resilient.” On the margins of the session, delegates witnessed a live demonstration of drone technology by the Netherlands Customs team, illustrating the growing role of unmanned systems in modern border surveillance.
In furtherance of its commitment to strengthening institutional integrity and aligning with global best practices in customs administration, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has deepened its engagement with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programmme.
This followed a high-level meeting held at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on 23 March 2026, during a working visit by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, who also serves as the Chairperson of the WCO Council.
The engagement provided an opportunity for the A-CIP Team to brief the Comptroller-General on the progress of its ongoing collaboration with the NCS.
Discussions centred on integrity capacity-building initiatives, the development of integrity-focused standard operating procedures, and the planned conduct of an integrity risk assessment exercise in 2026. The team also outlined its strategic priorities under Phase II of the Programme (2026–2030), which places emphasis on embedding integrity safeguards within automated customs systems, trade facilitation frameworks, and revenue administration processes.
Furthermore, the A-CIP team commended the NCS for its active participation in the WCO integrity survey and for approving the release of the survey outcomes, a step that reflects a strong institutional commitment to transparency and accountability. The positive outcomes of the survey underscore the impact of ongoing reforms within the Service, including structured valuation review mechanisms, strengthened post-clearance audit processes, and the implementation of the Voluntary Disclosure Framework under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
In his remarks, the Comptroller-General expressed appreciation to the A-CIP team for the quality and relevance of its engagement with the Service, reiterating the NCS’s resolve to sustain and deepen the partnership. Both parties acknowledged that institutional integrity remains a critical pillar for building public trust and enhancing the credibility of customs administrations, particularly in an increasingly complex global trade environment.
Building on the outcomes of the meeting, both sides agreed on a set of forward-looking actions to consolidate progress under the A-CIP Programme. These include publishing the WCO integrity survey results to demonstrate transparency, establishing and training a dedicated Implementation Working Group, and systematically integrating survey recommendations into NCS operational and business processes.
In a separate development, the Comptroller-General also held a strategic meeting with the WCO Secretary-General, Ian Saunders and relevant secretariat staff, during which both sides exchanged updates on the work of the Policy Commission and Council.
…As CGC Adeniyi, Trade Modernisation Team Engage Global Customs Leaders in Abu Dhabi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to technology-driven border management and international cooperation as the 2026 World Customs Organisation (WCO) Technology Conference and Exhibition commenced on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) in the United Arab Emirates.
The conference, organised by the WCO under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World: Securing and Facilitating Trade through Innovation,” brings together Customs administrations, technology providers, policymakers and industry leaders from across the globe to examine how innovation can strengthen border security while facilitating legitimate trade.
Nigeria’s participation in the high-level event underscores the Service’s ongoing trade modernisation drive and its alignment with global best practices in Customs administration, particularly in data exchange, digitalisation, and intelligence-led enforcement.
Speaking during a panel session titled “Customs Agility in a Complex World: Securing and Facilitating Trade through Innovation,” the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, who is also the Chairperson of the WCO Council, emphasised the importance of structured international collaboration in addressing emerging cross-border challenges.
According to the CGC, “Our experience has shown that robust engagement with international organisations such as INTERPOL, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the Universal Postal Union creates opportunities for deeper cooperation, especially in tracking criminal networks, protecting intellectual property and managing emerging trade risks.”
He noted that enhanced data exchange and stronger governance frameworks remain critical to addressing global challenges such as cargo diversion along transit corridors.
“Diversion of goods in transit is not a challenge unique to Nigeria; it is a global issue that requires coordinated Customs-to-Customs cooperation. Through existing WCO instruments and mutual administrative assistance frameworks, Customs administrations can more effectively investigate offences and ensure that goods reach their intended destinations,” Adeniyi said.
The CGC also commended the innovative solutions showcased at the conference, citing a digital humanitarian corridor solution presented by the UAE as a practical tool to improve the movement of relief consignments.
“I saw a tool today developed by the UAE that creates a digital humanitarian corridor. If scaled across the global Customs community, it can significantly enhance our ability to move humanitarian goods efficiently within a fully digitalised environment,” he added.
The Comptroller-General of Customs further noted that the global Customs response to evolving border challenges has been shaped by a coordinated framework of standards and practical tools developed over time, with technology remaining at the core of these interventions.
According to him, organisational agility goes beyond the deployment of systems and platforms, as it requires the capacity to absorb change, respond to emerging risks and continuously adapt operational approaches.
“Technology has been central to the work of the WCO and Customs administrations worldwide, and the progress recorded by UAE Customs across various operational areas demonstrates what is achievable when innovation is fully embraced,” he said.
CGC Adeniyi, however, stressed that sustainable modernisation must be supported by deliberate investment in human capital renewal, noting that Customs administrations across WCO member states are confronting generational transitions as experienced officers exit the system. He emphasised that building the skills and capacity of the next generation of officers is critical to maximising the benefits of technology and sustaining long-term institutional effectiveness.
Also representing the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) Team, the General Manager, TMP, Ahmed Ogunsola, participated in a panel session titled “Above the Clouds: Enhancing Customs Security through Cloud Computing and Data Analytics,” where discussions focused on leveraging cloud-based infrastructure and advanced analytics to strengthen risk management, improve compliance and enhance Customs security.
Also from TMP, Nabil Mustapha, the software development lead, did a tech talk on the evolution of national trade systems, focusing on 3 key areas: secure architectures, seamless user experience and beneficial outcomes.
At the exhibition site, TMP also had a booth showcasing the work done to modernise customs operations in Nigeria, highlighting the indigenous custom-made B’odogwu application and other technology solutions that brought together all parties involved in the trade ecosystem and eased the work for Customs officers and stakeholders.
The opening ceremony of the conference featured remarks by senior UAE officials, including the Chairman of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, Ali Mohammed Al Shamsi, who highlighted the role of artificial intelligence, data analytics and smart monitoring systems in achieving secure and seamless trade, as well as the Director-General of Customs and Port Security, Ahmed Abdullah bin Lahaj Al Falasi, who outlined future pillars of Customs development anchored on technology, human capacity and inter-agency integration.
In his address, the Secretary-General of the WCO, Ian Saunders, stressed that Customs administrations remain central to global economic and social prosperity, noting that innovation is essential for managing evolving border threats, securing supply chains and facilitating legitimate trade.
The three-day conference features panel discussions, case studies and live demonstrations covering risk management, innovative scanning technologies, cybersecurity, e-commerce, cloud computing and sustainable Customs operations, alongside an exhibition showcasing next-generation solutions for border management.
NCS and TMP Limited’s active participation in the conference reflects a continued resolve to modernise operations, strengthen international partnerships, and deploy innovation to achieve efficient, secure, and globally aligned trade facilitation.
Beyond exhibition presence, the TMP and NCS team actively participated in the conference’s Hackathon, collaborating with global Customs and technology experts to explore practical, innovation-led responses to emerging trade and border challenges. The exercise provided an opportunity to demonstrate Nigeria’s growing capacity to contribute to global Customs technology solutions rather than merely adopt them.
The World Customs Organisation (WCO) has commended SIFAX Group for its strategic importance and the excellent service that has become the hallmark of the business conglomerate.
This recognition was given during the presentation of a “Certificate of Merit” to the company by WCO during this year’s International Customs Day celebration in Abuja, Nigeria, with the theme “Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity.”
The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. WCO works on customs-related matters including the development of international conventions, instruments, and tools on topics such as commodity classification, valuation, rules of origin, collection of customs revenue, supply chain, security, and international trade facilitation, among others.
SIFAX Group is one of the few organisations recognized from Nigeria by WCO at the event.
The award was presented by the Chief of Defence of Staff, General Christopher Musa.
According to Ian Saunders, WCO Secretary General, the honour was bestowed on the company “for rendering exceptional service to the international Customs community.”
While responding to this recognition, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Chairman, SIFAX Group lauded both WCO and the Nigeria Customs Service for identifying and honouring the critical role the company has played in facilitating trade globally in its over three decades of operations.
He said: “SIFAX Group has received different awards from stakeholders and governments all around the world, but this honour is special because of the critical role WCO plays in supporting customs administrations globally to facilitate trade and deliver efficient services.
“SIFAX Group has over the years developed a culture of excellent service, stakeholder management, relationship building and community impact for the overall good of the business ecosystem. We are glad that our impact is felt and rewarded not only in Nigeria but globally. We want to thank WCO for this honour and promise this will spur us to up our game in meeting and exceeding expectations in quality service delivery and societal impact.”
Afolabi also lauded the Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Wale Adeniyi, for his exceptional leadership that has resulted in unprecedented achievements by the Service since he assumed office.
