Nigeria Customs Service launches INTERPOL data centre and deepens regional border cooperation

The Nigeria Customs Service, led by Comptroller‑General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, inaugurated an INTERPOL Data Centre at its headquarters in Abuja. The facility gives customs officers access to one of the world’s largest criminal intelligence networks, marking a major step in Nigeria’s shift toward intelligence‑led border security and digital trade facilitation.

In a parallel high‑level benchmarking mission, officials from Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon gathered to exchange best practices on modern border management. Supported by the African Export‑Import Bank, the delegation reviewed lessons from the Beitbridge and Chirundu posts in Zimbabwe, emphasizing coordinated institutions, digital interoperability and professional human capital as keys to strengthening trade corridors under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Both initiatives aim to curb illicit trafficking while preserving legitimate trade, reflecting a broader regional push for integrated, technology‑driven customs operations.