The Nigeria Customs Service has activated an INTERPOL Data Centre at its Abuja headquarters, connecting officers to a global criminal intelligence network as part of its push toward technology-driven enforcement.
Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi announced the development during a demonstration of the facility, describing it as a “major milestone in the service’s technology-driven transformation and intelligence-led enforcement strategy.”
He said NCS enforcement had evolved beyond conventional compliance, with technology now playing a central role in combating transnational crime, and added that a planned Memorandum of Understanding with INTERPOL “would further deepen cooperation between both organisations.”
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INTERPOL Consultant Chikwe Udensi said the facility is the eighth of its kind in Africa and gives customs officers access to more than 152 global criminal databases covering stolen vehicles, “vessels, cargo, parcels, and other transported assets.”
He explained that the platform enables officers to instantly “verify whether goods or transport assets have been reported stolen anywhere in the world, strengthening investigations, border security and revenue generation through real-time intelligence.”
Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, said officers had already been trained on the system, which has been fully integrated into the service’s ICT infrastructure. He noted that the platform also enhances cargo profiling, valuation and risk assessment by providing accurate information on the description and origin of goods.
Adeniyi also highlighted the service’s indigenous B’Odogwu platform as a digital solution capable of supporting trade facilitation across Nigeria and other African customs administrations.

