Customs unveils 2025 strategy, dissolves border patrol team
In a significant move aimed at improving border management and trade facilitation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially dissolved the Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) and outlined its strategy for 2025. This decision, announced on Tuesday by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, is set to address bottlenecks that have hindered business operations and trade activities.
The dissolution of the JBPT is part of the NCS’s broader efforts to modernise customs operations and streamline the movement of goods and persons across Nigeria’s borders. Adeniyi explained that the focus would now shift to leveraging actionable intelligence and strategic risk management frameworks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of customs operations.
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“We aim to remove the trade bottlenecks, strengthen border security, combat smuggling, and facilitate legitimate trade,” Adeniyi stated in a release signed by the NCS national PRO, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada.
The NCS will also reduce the number of customs checkpoints across the country to smoothen operational processes. In line with this, the service is deploying geospatial tools and advanced technologies to enhance enforcement and ensure compliance with trade regulations.
The JBPT, initially established in 2019 under the code name “Ex-Swift Response,” played a crucial role in enforcing the partial border closure policy. It was instrumental in curbing the influx of dangerous goods and ensuring that Nigeria’s trade and security regulations were upheld. While the dissolution marks the end of this specific operation, the NCS assures the public that border security will not be compromised.
“The NCS remains committed to securing Nigeria’s borders, facilitating legitimate trade, and ensuring national safety,” said Adeniyi, urging all stakeholders to support the service in its ongoing efforts against economic sabotage and smuggling.
The service’s new approach will focus on innovation and intelligence-driven enforcement strategies, signalling a shift towards more modern, technology-integrated operations.
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