Nigeria Customs Deepens Global Push for Innovation-Driven Trade Facilitation at WCO Technology Conference in Abu Dhabi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reinforced its commitment to technology-driven border management, trade facilitation and international cooperation as the 2026 World Customs Organisation (WCO) Technology Conference and Exhibition opened on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), United Arab Emirates.
The three-day conference, organised by the WCO under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World: Securing and Facilitating Trade through Innovation,” has brought together Customs administrations, policymakers, technology providers and industry leaders from across the globe to explore how innovation can strengthen border security while ensuring the smooth flow of legitimate trade.
Nigeria’s strong presence at the high-level event underscores the NCS’s ongoing trade modernisation agenda and its alignment with global best practices in Customs administration, particularly in digitalisation, data exchange, intelligence-led enforcement and collaborative border management.
Speaking during a panel session on “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, Nigeria’s experience has demonstrated that sustained engagement with international organisations remains critical to effective Customs administration in an increasingly interconnected world.
“Our experience has shown that robust engagement with international organisations such as INTERPOL, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the Universal Postal Union creates opportunities for deeper cooperation, especially in tracking criminal networks, protecting intellectual property and managing emerging trade risks,” the CGC stated.
He further noted that enhanced data exchange and stronger governance frameworks are essential to addressing complex global challenges, including the diversion of cargo along international 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,” Adeniyi said.
The Comptroller-General also commended innovative solutions showcased at the conference, highlighting a digital humanitarian corridor solution presented by the United Arab Emirates as a practical tool capable of transforming the movement of relief consignments across borders.
“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,” he added.
Adeniyi observed that the global Customs response to evolving border challenges has been shaped over time by coordinated standards and practical tools developed under the WCO framework, with technology remaining central to these interventions.
However, he stressed that organisational agility goes beyond the mere deployment of systems and platforms.
“Agility requires the capacity to absorb change, respond to emerging risks and continuously adapt operational approaches. Technology has been central to the work of the WCO and Customs administrations worldwide, and the progress recorded by UAE Customs across various operational areas demonstrates what is achievable when innovation is fully embraced,” he said.
While acknowledging technological advances, the CGC cautioned that sustainable modernisation must be underpinned by deliberate investment in human capital. He noted that many Customs administrations across WCO member states are experiencing generational transitions as seasoned officers exit the system.
According to him, equipping the next generation of officers with the requisite skills and competencies is critical to maximising the benefits of technology and ensuring long-term institutional effectiveness.
Nigeria’s participation at the conference was further strengthened by the active involvement of the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) Team.
The General Manager of TMP, Ahmed Ogunsola, took part in a panel session titled “Above the Clouds: Enhancing Customs Security through Cloud Computing and Data Analytics,” where discussions centred on leveraging cloud-based infrastructure and advanced analytics to improve risk management, enhance compliance and strengthen Customs security.
Also representing TMP, the software development lead, Nabil Mustapha, delivered a technical presentation on the evolution of national trade systems, focusing on three critical pillars: secure system architectures, seamless user experience and measurable beneficial outcomes for both government and private sector stakeholders.
At the exhibition grounds, TMP hosted a booth showcasing Nigeria’s progress in modernising Customs operations. The display highlighted indigenous, custom-built solutions such as the B’odogwu application, alongside other digital tools designed to integrate all actors within the trade ecosystem, simplify procedures and enhance efficiency for Customs officers and stakeholders alike.
The opening ceremony of the conference 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 underscored 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 keynote address, the Secretary-General of the WCO, Ian Saunders, reaffirmed that Customs administrations remain central to global economic and social prosperity.
He stressed that innovation is indispensable for managing evolving border threats, securing supply chains and facilitating legitimate trade in a rapidly changing global environment.
The conference programme features a series of panel discussions, case studies and live demonstrations covering key areas such as risk management, innovative scanning technologies, cybersecurity, e-commerce, cloud computing and sustainable Customs operations. These sessions are complemented by an exhibition showcasing next-generation solutions for border management.
Beyond the exhibition and panel engagements, the NCS and TMP teams also actively participated in the conference’s Hackathon, collaborating with global Customs and technology experts to explore practical, innovation-led responses to emerging trade and border challenges.
The exercise provided a platform to demonstrate Nigeria’s growing capacity to contribute meaningfully to global Customs technology solutions, rather than merely adopting them.
Overall, the active participation of the Nigeria Customs Service and TMP Limited at the 2026 WCO Technology Conference reflects a sustained resolve to modernise operations, strengthen international partnerships and deploy innovation as a strategic tool for achieving efficient, secure and globally aligned trade facilitation.
