Nigeria Customs Deploys INTERPOL Data Centre to Strengthen Border Security, Intelligence Operations
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has significantly enhanced its border security and intelligence-gathering capabilities with the deployment of an INTERPOL Data Centre at its Headquarters in Abuja, a move expected to bolster efforts to combat transnational crime through access to one of the world’s largest criminal intelligence networks.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, announced the development during a demonstration of the newly deployed facility, describing it as a major milestone in the Service’s ongoing technology-driven transformation and intelligence-led enforcement strategy.
According to Adeniyi, the modernisation of Customs operations has made technology an indispensable tool in enforcing trade regulations and tackling increasingly sophisticated cross-border criminal activities.
He noted that Customs enforcement has evolved far beyond conventional compliance measures, stressing that intelligence and digital technology now play a pivotal role in identifying, tracking and disrupting illicit trade networks.
The CGC disclosed that the Service is also preparing to formalise its partnership with the INTERPOL through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a development he said would further strengthen collaboration between both organisations in intelligence sharing and international law enforcement.
Adeniyi further highlighted the Nigeria Customs Service’s indigenous B’Odogwu digital platform, describing it as a home-grown innovation capable of transforming trade facilitation within Nigeria and serving as a model for Customs administrations across Africa.
He said the platform reflects the Service’s commitment to embracing innovative technological solutions that improve operational efficiency while facilitating legitimate trade across the continent.
Speaking during the demonstration, INTERPOL Consultant Chikwe Udensi explained that the newly established facility is the eighth INTERPOL Data Centre on the African continent.
He said the platform provides Nigeria Customs officers with direct access to more than 152 global criminal databases containing intelligence on stolen vehicles, vessels, cargo, parcels and other transported assets across the world.
Udensi explained that the system enables officers to instantly verify whether imported or exported goods, vehicles, ships or other transport assets have been reported stolen anywhere globally.
According to him, this real-time access to international criminal intelligence will significantly improve investigations, strengthen border security, facilitate intelligence-led enforcement operations and enhance revenue generation by preventing fraudulent trade practices.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, disclosed that officers of the Service have already undergone specialised training to operate the new system.
Bomodi stated that the INTERPOL platform has been fully integrated into the Nigeria Customs Service’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, ensuring seamless utilisation across enforcement operations.
He added that beyond strengthening security, the platform also enhances cargo profiling, goods valuation and risk assessment by providing officers with accurate and verifiable information on the description, identity and origin of consignments entering or leaving the country.
The deployment of the INTERPOL Data Centre is expected to reinforce the Nigeria Customs Service’s intelligence-led enforcement framework, improve cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, strengthen border management, facilitate legitimate trade and further position the Service as a technology-driven institution committed to securing Nigeria’s borders while supporting economic growth.
