Actionable Intelligence: Customs Comptroller General Commissions Analytics Centre At Apapa
In the quest to enhance regulatory compliance, strengthen risk management frameworks, facilitate legitimate trade and optimise revenue assurance mechanisms, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday, officially commissioned an analytics centre at the Apapa Customs Command to generate actionable intelligence.
The Customs CG said that the importance of data in any modern Customs administration, cannot be over emphasised, saying that data is the new currency of international trade and international business.
“And we value data a lot because it is the backbone of our risk management engine. And we cannot pretend to have a modern Customs administration if we do not have credible data to support it and drive it into operations.
“Virtually every project that we embark upon using ICT is driven by data. If we are doing an AEO program for compliance, we need a data upgrade to do it. If we want to do selectivity, we need data to do it. “If we want to create several indicators for risk, we need data to do it. And this is the direction in which all international Customs administrations all over the world are moving. This is the direction in which other organisations are moving, and this is why I believe that these facilities will be very instrumental in driving our operations,” he said.
He commended the Customs Area Controller, who sprinted to Abuja as he had prepared him to have the motivation to embark on this kind of project.
“I commend you and your team of officers who have worked on this project, and I believe that we are going to put this project to use. I encourage all of you officers, that the intelligence that we are going to derive from the analysis of this data should be put into our operations.
“I also encourage our state leaders that we are going to be working with partner government agencies to trust us and believe that the decisions that we are taking are going to be driven by the intelligence that we get from the analysis inside these facilities. And this is not just about data. The educated are behind us.
“For those of you who are familiar with this side of the CPC, you know that there was next to nothing here apart from the car park. So this is something that is coming from the robots that used to exist inside this place. And now we are coming with a facility that will drive Customs operations, that will drive the welfare of officers, and of course, that will reposition the Nigeria Customs Service as a modern customs administration.
“So this indeed is very, very remarkable, and I congratulate all officers and men of the command, and of course all officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service who will be using this project,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the command is flagging off a new era of intelligence Customs operations and improving the welfare of the officers.
“The magnificent story building we see today, proudly named CGC Adewale Adeniyi Analytical Arena, has been designed as the futuristic data-driven, including the state-of-the-art analytics of excellence, the Customs intelligence unit, the command’s clinic will ensure the well-being of the officers and personnel, another key strategic office,” he said.
He said this infrastructure is the vision of the CGC leveraging on modern technology and analytics to facilitate legitimate trade.
