The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to enhance data accuracy, improve trade facilitation, and tackle structural barriers impeding intra-African trade.
Adeniyi made this known during a courtesy visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, where he met with senior officials to discuss joint strategies for improving Customs efficiency and advancing the goals of the AfCFTA Agreement.
He commended the Secretariat for its role in mobilising Customs administrations, development partners, and economic operators across Africa, noting that the partnership has paved the way for the Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) conference scheduled to hold in Abuja from November 17 to 19, 2025.
“The AfCFTA Secretariat has been instrumental in mobilising African Customs and economic operators. We now have a clear direction for the upcoming Abuja meeting,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss stressed the need for Customs administrations to lead efforts in addressing trade data deficiencies across the continent, describing accurate data as crucial to policy formulation and regional integration.
He also emphasised the importance of reinforcing the existing structure that brings together heads of Customs under the AfCFTA framework, adding that institutionalising the Customs Pact would ensure long-term coordination and policy consistency in regional trade facilitation.
“The existing structure that brings together all heads of Customs under the AfCFTA must be reinforced. Once the Customs Pact is institutionalised, it should operate effectively within the Secretariat’s framework to drive sustainable trade facilitation,” Adeniyi added.
Responding, the Secretary-General of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its leadership in driving continental Customs cooperation. He acknowledged ongoing challenges such as poor logistics infrastructure, high transportation costs, and weak inter-agency coordination, which continue to hinder Africa’s trade growth.
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Mene expressed optimism that the upcoming C-PACT conference in Abuja would serve as a platform to develop actionable solutions, while disclosing that the AfCFTA Secretariat is considering institutionalising the conference as an annual event to sustain dialogue on Customs collaboration and data integration.
He also noted that the Secretariat, in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), is developing initiatives to enhance private sector inclusion and streamline the issuance of e-certificates of origin across the continent.
Additionally, discussions are ongoing to introduce a Single Bond Guarantee Scheme under the AfCFTA’s Annexe on Transit to improve cross-border efficiency.
Mene underscored the vital role of Customs in the AfCFTA’s implementation process, urging administrations to take an active part in shaping trade data systems, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) recognition frameworks, and overall trade statistics management.
