Abuja:The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing the country’s border management framework in preparation for the 2027 General Elections.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, stated that the service is working with both international and local partners to reintroduce coordinated border management. This initiative aims to develop an effective one-stop border post framework.
The NCS has commenced efforts at the Mfum border with Cameroon and the Seme-Krake border between Nigeria and Benin. These measures are designed to formalize trade and minimize illicit trade. Insights from a benchmarking mission to the Zimbabwe Beitbridge border, shared with South Africa, are being utilized to implement successful models in Nigeria.
Maiwada highlighted the investment in non-intrusive inspection technology and geospatial intelligence to strengthen border security. This modernization project seeks to prevent the entry of items harmful to Nigeria’s security and well-being.
Additionally, the recent recruitment by the NCS is part of an effort to enhance human resources for effective border management, aiming to prevent the smuggling of arms and prohibited items. The service is also engaging stakeholders and border communities through the Customs Community Consultative Forum to raise awareness about the dangers of smuggling.
In August, the NCS Niger/Kogi Area Command transferred 189,000 confiscated rounds of live ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), intensifying efforts against arms proliferation. Also, the NCS Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, handed over 399 seized firearms to NCCSALW and cautioned against the potential exploitation of Nigeria’s borders by criminal networks.
Adeniyi emphasized the NCS’s dedication to intelligence-led enforcement, enhanced border surveillance, and collaboration with other security agencies to dismantle arms-trafficking networks.