Nigeria, U.S. Customs partner on use of AI to combat illicit drug, arms trade
Photo: L-R: James Collins, Assistant Commissioner of the Office of International Affairs at U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Comptroller General Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi During a Bilateral Engagement in Washington DC.
The Federal Government is set to curb illicit trade in drugs and arms with the new partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service and the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP), using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with a Voice of America (VOA) Correspondent, Chinedu Offor, monitored on July 23, 2024, in Lagos.
Adeniyi said that during his recent visit to the U.S. he held talks in Washington DC with officials from the CBP to address the issue and that both countries would be collaborating using AI to curb the flow of illicit drugs, arms and ammunition into the West African nation.
According to the CGC, the meeting is part of a determined effort to enhance Customs operations in the face of increasing gang sophistication.
“Earlier in the week, I was in San Diego for a conference on the use of geospatial intelligence in customs operations. Integrating and adopting tools like AI and geospatial intelligence were central to our discussions with the CBP. I am excited that in the days ahead, we will begin to reap the benefits of this engagement,’’ he said.
On the U.S. promise to assist the Nigeria Customs Service and employ AI to simplify its operations, Adeniyi said: “We will share our experiences with them to identify what works for us and what does not. We are conducting a needs assessment to determine our priorities’’.
Regarding President Bola Tinubu’s pronouncement on the removal of tariffs to reduce food prices to address the food crisis, Adeniyi noted that the President was empowered by the Nigeria Customs Service 2023 Act to determine and vary tariffs on imported goods to help reduce food inflation in Nigeria.
The Customs boss also emphasized that the service would not relent in its efforts to disrupt the smuggling cartels of illicit drugs, arms, and ammunition through Nigeria’s ports by employing intelligence-driven solutions to combat the menace.
