In a significant move to implement the WCO Action Plan on Fragile Borders, the World Customs Organization (WCO), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has inaugurated the first-ever WCO Master Trainer Programme (MTP) on Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) in West Africa. The first Working Group activity (WG1) of the MTP took place in Abuja from 2 to 6 June 2025 with the support of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), gathering Working Group (WG) members (participants) from five West Africa WCO Members, namely Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, who had participated in the GEOINT Programme in 2024 organized jointly by the West Africa Security Project financed by Germany and the WCO/JICA Joint Project.
The fundamental aim of the MTP is to support participating regions in developing a sustainable and autonomous training capacity. To this end, the MTP trains the same participants through a series of progressive activities and develops training materials tailored to meet regional needs.
WG members in this pioneering GEOINT MTP are expected to master the use of QGIS, the software for developing GEOINT, develop use cases tailored to the needs of Customs operations, explain the benefits of GEOINT, and propose its application in various Customs operations. Additionally, they will develop training materials such as manuals on QGIS in the context of Customs to train relevant officers in their region.
WG1 was officially opened by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi. In his opening remarks, the Comptroller-General emphasized the importance of leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance trade security and combat transnational crimes such as smuggling and trafficking. He stated, "What we are witnessing today is the fruition of nearly a decade of sustained collaboration, innovation, and capacity building. I wish to commend both the WCO and JICA for providing us with the opportunity to emerge as one of the leading Customs administrations in fostering GEOINT capacity within our region." He added, "This recognition comes with both pride and responsibility, as we continue to serve as a model for other Customs administrations seeking to enhance their border management capabilities."
The Chief Representative of the JICA Nigeria Office, Mr. Susumu Yuzurio, reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to cooperating with the region to build resilient and modern border control systems through geospatial intelligence.
Throughout the week, fifteen Customs officials nominated by five Customs administrations worked intensively with experts from the WCO and JICA on the technical know-how to use geospatial technologies for mapping, analyzing, and monitoring border activities. They also began developing locally tailored training materials.
At the end of WG1, WG members developed a collective work plan to achieve the objectives of the MTP. They expressed deep appreciation to the WCO and JICA for this new opportunity, as well as to the participating experts for their unwavering dedication and for sharing their valuable knowledge and expertise.
The WCO and JICA welcomed the strong ownership and commitment demonstrated by the WG Members from the outset and reaffirmed their cooperation in support of the ongoing efforts of Customs administrations in Africa to ensure sustainable capacity development.