Nigeria Customs Pushes Innovation-Led Reforms at Global Conference in Abu Dhabi

By Zainab Uzomah

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to technology-driven border management as senior officials joined global Customs leaders at the 2026 World Customs Organisation (WCO) Technology Conference and Exhibition, which opened on Wednesday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement, the Service said its participation reflects Nigeria’s ongoing trade-modernisation agenda and alignment with global standards in digitalisation, data exchange and intelligence-led enforcement. The conference, themed “Customs Agility in a Complex World: Securing and Facilitating Trade through Innovation,” brings together Customs administrations, technology developers and policymakers to consider how innovation can strengthen security while easing legitimate trade.

Speaking during a panel session, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi—who also chairs the WCO Council—highlighted the importance of deeper international cooperation in tackling cross-border crime and emerging trade risks. He said collaboration with organisations such as INTERPOL, the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the Universal Postal Union had opened new pathways for intelligence sharing and protection of supply chains.

Adeniyi noted that goods diversion along transit corridors remained a global challenge, stressing the need for stronger data-sharing mechanisms and governance frameworks between Customs administrations. He also praised new technological tools showcased at the conference, including a UAE-developed digital humanitarian corridor platform designed to speed up relief consignments in crises.

The Customs chief said technological advances must be accompanied by sustained investment in human capital, warning that many Customs services worldwide were facing a generational transition as experienced officers leave the system. Building the capacity of younger officers, he said, was essential to ensuring that modernisation efforts deliver long-term impact.

Nigeria’s Trade Modernisation Project (TMP), which is implementing Customs automation reforms, also featured prominently at the conference. TMP General Manager Ahmed Ogunsola joined a panel on cloud computing and data analytics, discussing how cloud-based systems can improve risk management and boost compliance. TMP software lead Nabil Mustapha delivered a technical presentation on the evolution of national trade systems.

At the exhibition hall, TMP showcased its ongoing work, including the locally developed B’odogwu application designed to streamline trade processes and reduce bottlenecks for Customs officers, traders and other stakeholders.

Senior UAE officials, including Ali Mohammed Al Shamsi of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, emphasised the importance of artificial intelligence, data analytics and smart monitoring systems in future border management. WCO Secretary-General Ian Saunders described Customs agencies as central to global economic resilience, noting that innovation was critical to securing supply chains and facilitating legitimate commerce.

The three-day conference features panel discussions, case studies, live demonstrations and a Hackathon involving NCS and TMP team members, who are collaborating with global experts to design practical technology solutions for emerging border and trade challenges.