- First-ever 13 Master Trainers on GEOINT developed in West Africa, along with the creation of pioneering GEOINT training materials for Customs
- Second cycle of GEOINT Master Trainer Programme launched for additional 14 WCO Members in Africa, strengthening continental capacity
- WCO Geoportal enhanced and extended to participating Members, boosting data-sharing, risk analysis, and coordinated border management
The World Customs Organization (WCO), in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has successfully completed a Master Trainer Program (MTP) on Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) for five WCO Members in West Africa namely Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo. The MTP resulted in the development of the first-ever 13 Master Trainers on GEOINT and training materials on GEOINT in the Customs context. Consecutively, the WCO and JICA launched a new expanded cycle of MTP on GEOINT for 14 WCO Members in Africa. Both important milestones were achieved in February 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), marking a significant step forward in strengthening the capacity of Customs administrations across the African continent.
Completion of the MTP on GEOINT for West Africa
As part of the implementation of WCO Fragile Border Action Plan endorsed by the WCO Council in June 2023, the third and last Working Group (WG3) activity of MTP on GEOINT for West Africa was held in Nairobi from 26 to 30 January 2026. This session was based on the solid technical foundation established during previous working groups and focused on finalizing training materials and assessing participants' readiness to deliver training as Master Trainers. Notably, the training materials developed through this first batch of MTP are the first-ever training materials on GEOINT in the context of Customs.
The contribution of a GEOINT expert from the WCO COLIBRI Project for the first cycle of MTP on GEOINT further illustrated the effective use of the WCO Secretariat’s resources in a complementary manner.
Launch of new MTP on GEOINT Cycle and the start of the use of Geoportal
Immediately after the completion WG3 of the MTP on GEOINT for West Africa, the first Working Group (WG1) activity of the new MTP on GEOINT for 14 WCO Members in Africa, namely Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda was held in early February 2026, in Nairobi. The participants of the first MTP cycle took the lead in conducting training sessions for the new group, effectively applying their accumulated knowledge and teaching skills in a real training environment and utilizing the first ever training material developed by them, resulting in 13 participants of the MTP for West Africa being certified as the first-ever Master Trainers on GEOINT.
At WG1, the participants of the new cycle received one week of advanced training on the use of Quantum Geographic Information Systems (QGIS)- the software for developing GEOINT - to develop use cases tailored to the needs of Customs operations, explain the benefits of GEOINT, and propose its application in various Customs operations. After WG1, they will develop training materials such as manuals on QGIS in the context of Customs to train relevant officers in their region during their journey in the MTP.
Furthermore, the WCO, in cooperation with JICA, expanded the function of the WCO Geoportal, started by the EU-funded COLIBRI Project, for all WCO Members participating in the MTP on GEOINT to use. This strengthens collaboration among Customs administrations by offering a shared space for geospatial data, improving coordination and joint responses. It also enhances risk management and enforcement by combining multiple geospatial data sources, including satellite imagery, to identify and monitor high-risk zones more effectively.
The expansion of the MTP to the 14 new Members reflects the growing demand for GEOINT capabilities across the continent and the shared commitment of the WCO and JICA to support capacity-building. With the development of Master Trainers through the MTP in West Africa and the launch of a broader cycle across Africa, the WCO has strengthened a sustainable capacity-building framework that enables Customs authorities to address border security challenges while supporting trade facilitation.
The WCO and JICA commend the strong interest, professionalism, and commitment demonstrated by all participants and reaffirm their continued support to African Customs Administrations in promoting the use of GEOINT as a strategic operational tool.