The Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi says the establishment of the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) will address security threats, transnational crimes and terrorism in ECOWAS member states and Mauritania.
The force spokesperson, Mr Frank Mba, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja explained that the minister said this at inauguration of WAPIS Centre in Abuja.
Dingyadi said the centre would provide an integrated platform for national, regional and global police data exchange.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Baba said the establishment of WAPIS Data Collection and Recording (DACORE) Centre in Nigeria was part of efforts by the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to galvanize a multinational front.
He said that it was also, to sustain international collaboration and partnership with police organizations across the world.
According to him, the Centre will ensure effective intelligence sharing in combatting security challenges, terrorism, violent extremism, kidnapping, piracy, armed conflict, illicit flow of small arms and light weapons.
He said that other areas intelligence would be shared are human trafficking, illicit trade of drugs and other prevailing and emerging security threats in Nigeria, the West African sub-region and the global community.
Baba pledged that the WAPIS Centre, Nigeria would be effectively utilized for coordinated collection, storage and real-time sharing of criminal data.
He said that the centre would also be used to coordinate the movement of persons, goods, and border security, for prompt crime detection, prevention, prosecution, rehabilitation and projection.