The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to technology-driven border management and strengthened international cooperation as the 2026 World Customs Organisation (WCO) Technology Conference and Exhibition commenced on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), 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 explore how innovation can enhance border security while facilitating legitimate trade.
Nigeria’s participation at the high-level event underscores the Service’s ongoing trade modernisation agenda 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 also serves as Chairperson of the WCO Council, emphasised the importance of structured international collaboration in addressing emerging cross-border challenges.
According to Adeniyi, robust engagement with international organisations such as INTERPOL, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the Universal Postal Union has created opportunities for deeper cooperation, especially in tracking criminal networks, protecting intellectual property and managing emerging trade risks.
He noted that enhanced data exchange and strong 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,” he said.
The CGC also commended innovative solutions showcased at the conference, citing a digital humanitarian corridor solution presented by the United Arab Emirates 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,” Adeniyi added.
He further observed that the global Customs response to evolving border challenges has been shaped by coordinated standards and practical tools developed over time, with technology remaining central to these interventions. According to him, organisational agility extends beyond the deployment of systems, requiring the capacity to absorb change, respond to emerging risks and continuously adapt operational approaches.
While highlighting the progress recorded by UAE Customs across various operational areas, Adeniyi stressed that sustainable modernisation must be supported by deliberate investment in human capital. He noted that many Customs administrations are undergoing generational transitions and emphasised the need to equip the next generation of officers with the skills required to maximise the benefits of technology and sustain institutional effectiveness.
Also representing Nigeria at the conference, the General Manager of the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP), Ahmed Ogunsola, participated in a panel session titled “Above the Clouds: Enhancing Customs Security through Cloud Computing and Data Analytics.” Discussions at the session focused on leveraging cloud-based infrastructure and advanced analytics to strengthen risk management, improve compliance and enhance Customs security.
In a separate tech talk, Nabil Mustapha, TMP’s software development lead, spoke on the evolution of national trade systems, highlighting three key focus areas: secure architectures, seamless user experience and beneficial outcomes.
At the exhibition site, the TMP showcased Nigeria’s Customs modernisation efforts, including the indigenous custom-made B’odogwu application and other technology solutions designed to integrate all stakeholders within the trade ecosystem and ease operational processes for Customs officers.
The opening ceremony 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. The Director-General of Customs and Port Security, Ahmed Abdullah bin Lahaj Al Falasi, also 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 of next-generation border management solutions.
Beyond the exhibition, the NCS and TMP teams also participated in the conference Hackathon, collaborating with global Customs and technology experts to explore innovation-led responses to emerging trade and border challenges, further demonstrating Nigeria’s growing capacity to contribute to global Customs technology solutions.
