The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Customs Administration of the Republic of Benin have strengthened bilateral cooperation through a new geospatial technology partnership designed to enhance border security, improve surveillance, and facilitate legitimate cross-border trade.
The initiative was unveiled during a strategic engagement at the ECOWAS Conference Hall, Seme-Krake Joint Border Post, where officials from both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration against trans-border crimes while promoting seamless trade along the Nigeria-Benin corridor.
Speaking at the event, the Customs Area Controller of the Seme Area Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, described the partnership as a major step towards modernising border management and addressing persistent security and trade challenges.
He noted that the Seme border remains one of West Africa’s busiest trade corridors but continues to face operational and security concerns that require innovative solutions.
Kaila expressed confidence that the deployment of geospatial technology would significantly enhance surveillance, improve operational efficiency, and increase government revenue through more effective border management.
“The Seme border remains a vital trading corridor and has witnessed numerous challenges. With this geospatial initiative, some of the issues can be addressed and we can boost our revenue,” he said.
Also speaking, the Head of Geospatial at the Nigeria Customs Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Labaran Ahmed, explained that the project would serve as a pilot for the Service’s border management application using the World Customs Organisation (WCO) satellite platform to strengthen intelligence gathering and operational response.
According to Ahmed, the technology will enable Customs authorities to identify vulnerable sections of the border in real time, allowing officers to be strategically deployed for targeted surveillance and enforcement operations against smuggling and other cross-border crimes.
“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,” he said.
He disclosed that Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo are the first countries implementing the geospatial border management technology under the WCO initiative.
Ahmed added that the project’s early success has already attracted interest from 19 additional African countries, including Egypt, Senegal, Kenya and Mali, which have indicated plans to adopt the technology following a recent master-class training programme.
He noted that the wider adoption of the geospatial platform is expected to strengthen regional efforts to combat smuggling, enhance border security, and improve Customs administration across Africa.
The partnership reflected the growing commitment of West African Customs administrations to leverage digital technology and intelligence-driven border management in tackling transnational security threats while facilitating legitimate regional trade.
