Uche Cecil Izuora
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has unveiled an INTERPOL Data Centre at its headquarters in Abuja, giving officers direct access to one of the world’s largest criminal intelligence networks. Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi announced the development during a demonstration of the facility, describing it as a significant step in the Service’s broader shift toward technology-driven, intelligence-led enforcement.
Adeniyi said Customs enforcement has moved beyond conventional compliance checks, with technology increasingly central to combating transnational crime. He said the Service plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with INTERPOL to deepen cooperation between the two organisations. He also pointed to the NCS’s indigenous B’Odogwu platform, describing it as a digital solution capable of supporting trade facilitation both within Nigeria and across other African customs administrations.
INTERPOL Consultant Chikwe Udensi said the new facility is the eighth INTERPOL Data Centre established in Africa, and gives Customs officers access to more than 152 global criminal databases covering stolen vehicles, vessels, cargo, parcels and other transported assets. Udensi said the system allows officers to instantly check whether goods or transport assets have been reported stolen anywhere in the world, strengthening investigations, border security and revenue collection through real-time intelligence sharing.
Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs for Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection Timi Bomodi said officers have already been trained on the system, which has been fully integrated into the Service’s ICT infrastructure. He said the platform also supports cargo profiling, valuation and risk assessment by giving officers more accurate information on the description and origin of goods.