Nigeria is stepping up its technology-led enforcement strategy as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) deepens regional and global collaboration to combat illicit trade increasingly driven by digital commerce.
The technology-driven shift was highlighted at the EMEA Security 2026 Conference held in Cape Town, where policymakers, enforcement agencies and private sector stakeholders examined how e-commerce and complex supply chains are reshaping the dynamics of illegal trade flows.
Representing the Service, Sanusi Saulawa, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, says illicit trade has evolved into a digital-era challenge that extends beyond traditional border controls. The rapid expansion of online marketplaces and digital logistics systems, according to him, is creating new vulnerabilities that criminal networks are exploiting to move counterfeit goods, narcotics and prohibited items across jurisdictions.
The NCS is also expanding its deployment of digital infrastructure, including scanning equipment, cargo profiling systems, and monitoring platforms across entry points. These technologies are designed to improve detection rates, reduce manual bottlenecks, and enhance operational efficiency as trade volumes increase.
“The Nigeria Customs Service recognises that effective border management requires collaboration, technology, and trust. No single agency can address the complexities of illicit trade alone,” he says.
Customs authorities say the growing scale of digital trade is fundamentally changing enforcement approaches. Illegal consignments are increasingly embedded within legitimate shipments, making detection more complex and requiring more sophisticated tools.
In response, the NCS is transitioning from traditional inspection models to data-driven, intelligence-led systems capable of identifying high-risk cargo before it reaches national borders. Saulawa says the Service is deploying risk management platforms that use data analytics to flag suspicious consignments early, marking a shift towards predictive enforcement.
Technology at the core of customs modernisation
The NCS is also expanding its deployment of digital infrastructure, including scanning equipment, cargo profiling systems, and monitoring platforms across entry points. These technologies are designed to improve detection rates, reduce manual bottlenecks, and enhance operational efficiency as trade volumes increase.
The integration of these systems is enabling faster and more accurate decision-making, while strengthening oversight in a trade environment characterised by speed and scale, according to officials.
A central theme emerging from the conference is the growing importance of data collaboration, particularly with private sector players. Manufacturers, logistics companies and importers are increasingly recognised as critical partners, given their access to detailed supply chain data that can reveal anomalies such as irregular shipping routes or inconsistencies in product documentation.
The NCS says it is strengthening inter-agency coordination with regulators responsible for drug control, product standards and consumer protection, while also expanding engagement with private sector stakeholders to improve intelligence sharing.
Industry participants at the conference note that such collaboration is essential to balancing enforcement with trade facilitation, ensuring that legitimate commerce is not disrupted while illicit flows are curtailed.
While seizures remain a visible enforcement metric, the NCS is increasingly shifting towards preventive strategies, using technology to intercept illicit goods before they enter the domestic market.
This approach aligns with global trends in customs administration, where agencies are investing in digital tools to dismantle criminal networks and reduce systemic risks rather than relying solely on post-arrival inspections.
The conference, organised by ASIAS Security Group under the theme “Safeguarding Africa’s Future: Strengthening Regional Collaboration Against Illicit Trade,” reflects a broader consensus that Africa’s response must be both collaborative and technology-driven.
For Nigeria, the direction is clear: as trade becomes more digital, enforcement is evolving in parallel, with data, technology and partnerships emerging as critical tools in the fight against illicit trade.
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