By ebosele@hotmail.com
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone ‘A’, has strengthened its partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to enhance intellectual property protection, border enforcement and the fight against counterfeit and infringing goods.
The partnership was reinforced during an engagement held on August 12, 2026, at the Zone ‘A’ Headquarters in Lagos, where officials of both institutions explored practical areas of cooperation, including intelligence sharing, capacity building, technology deployment and counterfeit product identification.
Receiving the USPTO delegation, led by Julie LeBlanc, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Zone ‘A’, ACG Mohammed Babandede, reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to strategic partnerships that promote legitimate trade and protect intellectual property rights.
Babandede said effective intellectual property enforcement was critical to protecting legitimate businesses, safeguarding consumers, encouraging innovation and strengthening government revenue.
He stressed the need for the Service to leverage intelligence, technology and capacity building to enhance enforcement at the nation’s borders.
The USPTO delegation, meanwhile, underscored the importance of closer collaboration between intellectual property institutions and border enforcement agencies in tackling the illicit movement of counterfeit and infringing products.
It identified joint training, information and intelligence sharing, counterfeit identification and intellectual property awareness as key areas for enhanced cooperation.
Also speaking, the Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, stressed the importance of reliable information from manufacturers and supply-chain stakeholders in countries of origin to support enforcement efforts in destination countries.
Aliyu said manufacturers should provide destination countries with adequate information about their products, distribution channels and supply chains, noting that such information would significantly improve the ability of border enforcement agencies to identify and intercept counterfeit and pirated goods.
The engagement is expected to strengthen information and intelligence exchange between the NCS and USPTO, improve the capacity of customs officers to identify counterfeit and infringing products, and support more effective enforcement against illicit trade across Nigeria’s borders.
