The Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) has initiated an African regional security and trade project for Nigeria and five other countries to tackle rising border insecurity.
Speaking while opening the technical committee’s meeting of the countries’ representatives in Abuja yesterday, Col. Ali said the project tagged, ‘Securite Par Collaboration’ (SPC++) was initiated from an idea the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) presented at the Conference of Directors General of Customs for the West and Central African Region in Abidjan in April 2016.
He said the project was endorsed by the World Customs Organisations (WCO).
“Through your discussions and recommendations, guide us the DGs to a safe delivery and implementation of the project,” Ali charged the participants.
Countries participating at the pilot stage are Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Niger and Nigeria.
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Ali said the project could be expanded to include other countries.
The project seeks to consider a legal framework by developing templates and methodology for research on curbing insecurity at the borders.
Representative of the Secretary General, WCO, Mr. Thomas Carten said economic and social activities of countries are being challenged by organized crime which has caused thousands of fatalities in Nigeria and border countries.
The project is the first regional initiative and will help to proffer new solutions to handle the rising security issues at borders, Carten explained.
An expert from the Global Action against Trans National Organised Crime, Mark Shaw, said crime is assuming some frigidity and convergence by expanding across many regions including Africa, and Asia with such activities to include illicit trade and trafficking.
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