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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has strengthened its collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to improve trade across the continent and support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).’
The partnership was reaffirmed during a meeting between the President and Chairman of Afreximbank’s Board of Directors, Dr George Elombi, and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the Customs headquarters in Abuja.
The discussions focused on improving trade facilitation, aligning customs processes, enhancing regional transit systems and creating smoother procedures for businesses involved in cross-border trade.
Adeniyi said the partnership was built on the belief that Africa’s economic growth depends largely on stronger trade relationships among African countries rather than relying heavily on external markets.
He explained that the cooperation would support initiatives such as one-stop border posts, improved customs operations and the adoption of international standards to reduce delays and lower the cost of moving goods across African borders.
According to him, Afreximbank’s support for regional transit programmes has already produced positive results by improving coordination among customs administrations and making trade processes more efficient.
He added that reducing border challenges would allow businesses to become more competitive and contribute to stronger economic growth across the continent.
Elombi praised the Nigeria Customs Service for taking a leading role in promoting regional integration and said Afreximbank was ready to provide the necessary support to help African countries maximise the opportunities created by AfCFTA.
He noted that stronger cooperation between customs agencies, businesses and financial institutions would help create a more connected African market where goods and services can move more freely.
Meanwhile, Adeniyi identified the lack of connected digital systems among African customs administrations as a major challenge affecting the success of AfCFTA.
He said differences in technology platforms used by customs agencies across the continent have continued to slow down trade, increase costs and create unnecessary delays for businesses.
The Customs chief stressed that creating an integrated digital customs system would allow countries to exchange information more effectively and improve the movement of goods across borders.
The AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project is expected to promote digital transformation, improve revenue collection, strengthen cooperation among member states and make regional trade easier for manufacturers, exporters and investors.
