…as NCS, Trade Modernisation Team showcase innovation-driven border reforms
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its global engagement on innovation-led trade facilitation as the 2026 World Customs Organisation (WCO) Technology Conference and Exhibition opened on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), United Arab Emirates.
Organised by the WCO under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World: Securing and Facilitating Trade through Innovation”, the conference brought together Customs administrations, technology firms, policymakers and industry leaders to explore how digital solutions can strengthen border security while enabling legitimate trade.
Nigeria’s participation signaled the Service’s expanding trade modernisation agenda and alignment with global best practices in digitalisation, data exchange and intelligence-driven enforcement.
Speaking during a high-level panel session, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, who also chairs the WCO Council, stressed the importance of structured international cooperation in addressing emerging cross-border threats.
According to him, strong engagement with organisations such as INTERPOL, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the Universal Postal Union enhances Customs’ ability to track criminal networks, protect intellectual property and manage new trade risks.
“Diversion of goods in transit is not unique to Nigeria; it is a global challenge that requires Customs-to-Customs cooperation. Through WCO instruments and mutual administrative assistance frameworks, administrations can investigate offences more effectively and ensure goods reach their intended destinations”, Adeniyi said.
He also commended innovative solutions exhibited at the conference, highlighting a digital humanitarian corridor developed by the UAE as a practical model for improving the movement of relief consignments in a fully digital environment.
“If scaled across the global Customs community, it can significantly enhance how humanitarian goods are moved efficiently and securely”, he added.
The CGC noted that organisational agility goes beyond deploying platforms and systems, emphasising the need to absorb change, respond to evolving risks and adapt operational approaches.
He praised UAE Customs’ progress in applying technology across operational areas as proof of what is achievable when innovation is fully embraced.
However, Adeniyi stressed that sustainable modernisation must be supported by investment in human capital, especially as many administrations face generational transitions.
“Building the skills of the next generation of officers is critical to maximising technology and sustaining institutional effectiveness”, he said.
Representing the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) Team, the General Manager, 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 infrastructure and advanced analytics to improve risk management, compliance and border security.
Also from TMP, Nabil Mustapha, the software development lead, delivered a tech talk on the evolution of national trade systems, focusing on secure architectures, seamless user experience and beneficial outcomes.
At the exhibition ground, TMP operated a booth showcasing Nigeria’s Customs modernisation journey, including the indigenous B’odogwu application and other digital tools designed to integrate stakeholders across the trade ecosystem and ease operational processes for officers and traders.
The conference opening featured remarks by senior UAE officials, including Ali Mohammed Al Shamsi, Chairman of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, and Ahmed Abdullah bin Lahaj Al Falasi, Director.General of Customs and Port Security, both of whom underscored the role of artificial intelligence, analytics and smart monitoring systems in achieving seamless and secure trade.
WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders noted that innovation remains central to managing border threats, securing supply chains and facilitating global commerce.
The three-day event features panel discussions, case studies, live demonstrations and exhibitions on risk management, scanning technologies, cybersecurity, e-commerce, cloud computing and sustainable Customs operations.
Beyond exhibition participation, the NCS and TMP teams also joined the conference Hackathon, collaborating with global experts to develop innovation-driven responses to emerging border challenges — a move that reflects Nigeria’s growing capacity to contribute to global Customs technology solutions rather than merely adopt them.