The WCO officially launched its West Africa Security Project (WASP) in 2022. This multi-year initiative has been funded through the Enable and Enhance Initiative (E2I) of the German Federal Foreign Office, with support from the German Central Customs Authority. The E2I is a component of a broader German Government effort dedicated to providing assistance to partner states, emphasizing security sector reform. Notably, this Project represents the inaugural collaboration between German Customs and the WCO concerning Border Security issues and Gender Equality and Diversity (GED).
Phase 1 of the Project, conducted between March and September 2021, was a “diagnostic phase” conducted with the Customs administrations of Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Ghana to establish how the effectiveness of Customs processes could be improved to produce better security outcomes. The Project team also assessed how shipments of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) precursor chemicals and components, Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in particular, could be identified through the training in the detection of these items and through more effective risk assessment. There was a particular focus on seaports, given the significant volume of cargo moving through the Gulf of Guinea ports in the three countries, including in transit to and from neighboring G5 Sahel countries. The recommendations made in the Phase 1 assessment formed the basis for a Cooperation Agreement signed by the WCO and German Customs for Phase 2 of the WASP.
Phase 2 of WASP took place between October 2022 and December 2023. It focused on capacity building through training and mentoring, along with supplying detection equipment and WCO tools. Towards the end of the project, a Security Operation was organized to apply the acquired training and equipment in a real operational setting.
On 6 December 2023, German Customs advised that the German Federal Foreign Office had agreed to fund under the E2I a 12-month extension of the WASP and an expansion to include the Customs administrations of Nigeria and Benin, with participation by the Gambia in the GED Component.
Overall, the WASP Project is a concrete stepping stone towards the implementation of the Fragile Borders Action Plan, adopted by the WCO Council in June 2023.
The WASP team work closely with different Directorates and Programmes of the WCO and with partner organizations, in particular the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT), International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the United Nations Organization for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as part of efforts to establish and maintain a fruitful relationship between Customs and police services on border security measures.