The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, to enhance trade integration across the continent, improve data management, and address barriers hindering intra-African trade.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, stated this during a courtesy visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, where he met senior officials to discuss joint strategies for improving customs operations.
The meeting was also to dvance the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.
Adeniyi commended the Secretariat for its continued engagement with key stakeholders, including customs administrations, development partners, and economic operators, in efforts to maximise Africa’s trade potential.
He noted that the ongoing partnership had provided a clear roadmap for the forthcoming Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Conference, scheduled to be held in Abuja from 17 to 19 November 2025.
“The AfCFTA Secretariat has been beneficial in mobilising African customs and economic operators. We have received a concept note from the Secretariat and have engaged in a series of meetings. We now have a clear direction in which we want to go during the meeting in Abuja on November 17,” he stated.
The Customs Chief highlighted that one of the major outcomes of these engagements was the consensus that Customs administrations must take the lead in addressing long-standing deficiencies in trade data across the continent.
“Most importantly, we have heard discussions centring around the fact that Customs needs to take the front role in addressing the issue of deficiencies in our trade data across the continent. This is a challenge that I have accepted to play, working with my colleagues,” he affirmed.
Adeniyi further stressed the importance of strengthening the existing structure established by the AfCFTA Secretariat, which brings together all heads of Customs administrations under a single coordination framework.
“The existing structure that brings together all heads of Customs under the AfCFTA must be reinforced. Once the Customs Pact is institutionalised, it should be able to operate effectively within the Secretariat’s framework to drive sustainable trade facilitation,” he said.
He emphasised that overcoming challenges such as poor data integration, fragmented policies, and weak inter-agency collaboration remains vital to unlocking Africa’s full trade potential.
Adeniyi expressed optimism that the C-PACT Conference would set a new benchmark for customs collaboration and data-driven trade governance across the continent.
Responding, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, welcomed the Nigerian delegation and commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its leadership in driving continental Customs cooperation.
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He acknowledged the persistent obstacles hindering trade growth in Africa, including inadequate logistics infrastructure, high transport costs, and limited inter-agency coordination.
Mene explained that ”the Secretariat continues to engage stakeholders—particularly the private sector, Customs administrations, and trade ministries—to foster stronger institutional collaboration and sustainable trade facilitation.”
He expressed optimism that the upcoming C-PACT Conference in Abuja would provide a strategic platform for tackling these challenges and developing actionable solutions.
Mene also revealed that the AfCFTA Secretariat was considering institutionalising the C-PACT Conference as an annual event to sustain dialogue on customs cooperation and data integration.
Recalling an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Customs Organization (WCO), he noted that “the partnership aims to enhance private sector inclusion and support the rollout of e-certificates of origin across Africa.”
He further disclosed that discussions are ongoing regarding the creation of a Single Bond Guarantee Scheme, designed to strengthen the AfCFTA’s Annex on Transit and improve cross-border efficiency.
Emphasising the central role of Customs in implementing the AfCFTA, Mene urged active participation from Customs administrations in shaping Africa’s trade data systems, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) recognition frameworks, and overall trade statistics management.