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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Customs Administration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have signed a landmark cooperation agreement aimed at accelerating trade facilitation, enhancing border security, and intensifying the fight against transnational organised crime.
The Joint Declaration, signed in Brussels by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Director-General of Netherlands Customs, Nanette van Schelven, marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s customs modernisation drive and expands bilateral cooperation on intelligence sharing, customs enforcement, compliance management, and capacity development.
The agreement is the culmination of sustained engagements between both customs administrations, beginning with the Nigeria Customs Service’s working visit to the Netherlands in October 2025 and followed by a reciprocal visit by a Dutch Customs delegation to Nigeria in March 2026.
Under the declaration, both countries committed to deepening collaboration in key operational areas, including risk management, cargo clearance systems, supply chain security, border control, trade facilitation, and institutional capacity building.
The two customs administrations also acknowledged Nigeria’s strategic role as one of West Africa’s largest economies and a key trading partner of the Netherlands, stressing that stronger customs cooperation is essential for facilitating legitimate trade while combating cross-border criminal activities.
They identified the growing threat posed by trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, counterfeit goods, wildlife products, illicit weapons, and other forms of transnational organised crime, noting that such challenges require coordinated international action.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the declaration as a major step in the Nigeria Customs Service’s international cooperation agenda.
According to him, the partnership reflects the immense value of global collaboration in addressing emerging trade and border management challenges.
He said the agreement would strengthen intelligence exchange, expand capacity-building initiatives, improve enforcement effectiveness, and reinforce efforts by both administrations to secure international supply chains while facilitating legitimate trade.
Adeniyi added that the declaration also reflects the strong relationship built by both customs administrations over the past year through sustained diplomatic and technical engagements.
On her part, Director-General of Netherlands Customs, Nanette van Schelven, said both administrations face similar challenges in an increasingly interconnected global trading environment.
She noted that closer cooperation would promote mutual learning, enhance operational capabilities, and improve the collective fight against transnational organised crime while supporting more efficient, transparent, and predictable international trade.
The Joint Declaration provides a framework for structured cooperation through regular exchanges of expertise, technical knowledge, professional training, and institutional best practices.
It also lays the foundation for a joint work plan that will drive future collaboration aimed at improving border efficiency, strengthening supply chain security, promoting fair trade practices, and tackling the evolving challenges associated with both legitimate and illicit cross-border movement of goods.
The agreement further reinforces the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to international partnerships that support customs modernisation, economic growth, and secure global trade.
