Nigeria, Benin Customs boost border security with geospatial technology

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and its counterpart in the Republic of Benin have solidified their partnership through the adoption of geospatial technology. This strategic move is designed to bolster economic security, enhance border surveillance, and streamline legitimate trade along their extensive shared border corridor.

The collaborative effort was underscored during a meeting at the ECOWAS Conference Hall, located at the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post. Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, the Customs Area Controller of the Seme Area Command, hailed the initiative as a significant advancement in border management. He emphasized its potential to boost trade and effectively address the security challenges prevalent in one of West Africa's busiest trade routes.

Deputy Comptroller of Customs Labaran Ahmed, who heads the Geospatial unit at NCS, explained that the new system is set to pilot the Service's border management application using the World Customs Organization (WCO) satellite platform. This advanced tool will enable customs authorities to pinpoint vulnerable areas along the border, allowing for the strategic deployment of field officers to conduct targeted operations and achieve more impactful results in combating smuggling and other cross-border criminal activities.

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With this new tool, we will not only identify vulnerable points along the border but also strategically deploy our field officers to those locations for targeted operations and more effective results