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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening intra-African trade by deepening its partnership with Afreximbank to advance trade facilitation, modernise customs operations, and accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The commitment was reaffirmed during a working visit by Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the Service Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
The meeting reviewed progress on ongoing collaborations and identified new areas of cooperation aimed at promoting seamless cross-border trade and regional economic integration.
Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi described the partnership as one driven by a shared vision of unlocking Africa’s economic potential through increased trade among African countries.
“We are building a partnership founded on a single conviction: that Africa’s best trading partners are within Africa itself, and our prosperity will be built on the trade we conduct within ourselves. From C-PACT to our ongoing work on trade facilitation, we are turning that conviction into practical cooperation,” he said.
The Customs boss said the collaboration would support Afreximbank’s regional transit initiatives, accelerate the establishment of one-stop border posts along key trade corridors, and promote global best practices in customs administration.
According to him, the Service is already recording positive outcomes from the Bank’s support for regional transit systems, expressing confidence that the partnership would enhance Africa’s competitiveness and facilitate legitimate trade.
Elombi commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its proactive leadership, describing the engagement as evidence of the Service’s commitment to transforming trade across the continent.
“It is nice to see the CGC taking the initiative to drive this kind of engagement, which demonstrates a clear commitment to transforming trade across the continent. We have the resources, and you have the will. Together, we can make this partnership work for Africa,” he said.
The meeting also reviewed the successful maiden edition of the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), hosted in Abuja in November 2025. The initiative brought together customs administrations, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise customs procedures, strengthen institutional capacity, and improve connectivity across Africa’s trading systems.
