Data Analytics Centre will enhance cargo clearance in Apapa Port – CGC Adeniyi

The Comptroller General of Customs, Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, says the Data Analytics Centre at the Apapa Area Command is part of efforts to enhance intelligence-driven operations and improve cargo clearance processes in Apapa Port.

Adeniyi emphasised the central role of data in modern Customs administration, describing it as the real currency of international business and a critical tool for effective communication and cooperation among global institutions.

Adeniyi stated this when he commissioned the state-of-the-art Data Analytics Centre recently at Apapa, Lagos.

He said credible data remains the backbone of the Service’s risk management architecture, noting that the ability to participate effectively in global trade facilitation initiatives depends largely on the availability of reliable data to support decision-making and strengthen collaboration.

The Customs boss explained that virtually every project undertaken by the Service through information and communication technology is driven by data, stressing that programmes such as the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) scheme, risk indicators, etc rely on accurate and timely information.

He further noted that Customs organisations across the world are increasingly adopting data-driven systems to enhance efficiency and improve compliance, adding that the newly commissioned analytics centre would play a vital role in strengthening the Service’s operational intelligence.

While commending the Service’s ICT department and the Apapa Customs Command for their efforts in establishing the facility, Adeniyi expressed confidence that the intelligence generated from the analysis of data would significantly improve on the Service’s operational efficiency and decision-making.l

This is even as he urged officers to make effective use of the facility, while encouraging stakeholders and partner government agencies to trust the Service, assuring them that decisions taken by the Customs administration would be guided by intelligence generated from data analysis at the centre.

Similarly, the CGC’ also commissioned the Command Clinic domiciled within the new two-storey building, as part of ongoing efforts to improve the health and welfare of officers and personnel of the Service.

He noted that the provision of quality healthcare facilities remains essential to ensuring that officers remain physically and mentally fit to carry out their responsibilities effectively in demanding operational environments.

Speaking earlier, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba described the new facility as the beginning of a new era in intelligence-driven operations in the customs service, noting that overall, the efficiency brought to b ear on operations would improve officers welfare and mental alertness.

He explained that the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Analytical Arena was designed with a futuristic and data-driven approach for border security. Oshoba stated that the infrastructure reflects the vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs to deploy modern technology and analytics to combat smuggling, strengthen national security and facilitate legitimate trade.