On February 2, 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, received a courtesy call from representatives of the World Customs Organization, led by Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya and the Comptroller General of Customs Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd).
In his welcoming speech, President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja stressed that Nigeria and her neighbors must prioritize adequate border policing since the precariousness of the access points into different nations encourages terrorism, economic sabotage, and the illicit flow of armaments.
As the country gets closer to its general election, President Buhari praised the WCO Secretary for making his fourth visit to the country.
Speaking on the conference’s theme, “Enabling Customs in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations,” the President stressed the necessity of security consciousness for Nigerians as a nation and for the continent as a whole.
He continued by expressing his happiness that the WCO had devoted an entire conference to the topic and theme, “thus recognizing not only its importance but dedicating working sessions and brainstorming around it and inviting great thought leadership to dissect the issues and explore how nations in Africa can address this problem given our unique set of circumstances while also pursuing our joint and collective idea of an interconnected continent via trade and investment.”
However, President Buhari is optimistic that the meeting will aim to comprehend the operating environment that surrounds nations that suffer with brittle borders and examine how exhaustive and comprehensive remedies may be provided that address the multifaceted character of the issues. Nigeria participates actively and vibrantly in the WCO, which Dr. Mikuriya defined as a global organization with 184 members.
