By Seun Ibiyemi
The Comptroller-General of Customs and Chairperson of the Council of the World Customs Organization, Adewale Adeniyi, has delivered a historic keynote address at the opening of the 46th Session of the WCO Enforcement Committee in Brussels.
The event marked the first time in the committee’s 43-year history that its opening session was jointly addressed by both the WCO Secretary-General, Ian Saunders, and the Council Chairperson, underscoring the growing strategic importance of the enforcement body in global customs operations.
The development also spotlighted the Nigeria Customs Service as a key player in shaping international customs cooperation at a time of evolving global trade challenges.
The session highlighted a shift in the committee’s operational focus from a largely enforcement-driven platform to a broader, policy-oriented body addressing emerging issues such as detection technologies, intelligence sharing, supply chain security, and trade-based money laundering.
This transition is further reinforced by an ongoing review of the committee’s Terms of Reference, last updated in 2009, aimed at aligning its governance structure with the complexities of modern global trade.
In his address, Adeniyi commended customs administrations worldwide for their efforts in tackling transnational organised crime, while stressing the need for intelligence-led and coordinated enforcement strategies.
“Customs enforcement today is no longer about isolated seizures; it is about protecting the integrity of global trade,” he said.
As part of its contributions, the Nigeria Customs Service is expected to present operational insights on fragile border management, drawing from its experience in managing complex border environments across Nigeria.
Adeniyi emphasised that such field-level perspectives would enrich global policy discussions and strengthen collective responses to cross-border threats.
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He concluded with a call for deeper collaboration among customs administrations, noting that enhanced cooperation would strengthen enforcement, secure trade, and bolster the resilience of the global economy.
On the sidelines of the session, delegates also witnessed a live demonstration of drone technology by the Netherlands Customs team, highlighting the increasing role of unmanned systems in modern border surveillance and enforcement.
