The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to enhance intra-African trade. NCS Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi made this pledge during a courtesy visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, where he met with senior officials to discuss strategies for improving Customs efficiency and advancing the goals of the AfCFTA Agreement.
Adeniyi commended the Secretariat for its role in mobilizing key stakeholders, including Customs administrations, development partners, and private-sector operators, to drive Africa’s trade growth. He noted that the existing partnership between the NCS and the AfCFTA Secretariat has laid the groundwork for the upcoming Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Conference, scheduled to take place in Abuja from November 17 to 19, 2025.
The collaboration between the two institutions has yielded a clear roadmap for the Abuja conference, with a major outcome being the consensus that Customs administrations must take the lead in resolving persistent gaps in trade data across the continent. Adeniyi stressed the need to strengthen the framework created by the AfCFTA Secretariat, which brings together all heads of Customs administrations under one umbrella.
Once institutionalized through the Customs Pact, the framework would ensure consistency and coordination in Customs policies and trade facilitation. Adeniyi identified weak data integration, fragmented policies, and poor inter-agency collaboration as key obstacles hindering Africa’s trade expansion. He expressed confidence that the C-PACT Conference would set a new standard for Customs collaboration and data-driven decision-making across the continent.
The Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, welcomed Adeniyi and his delegation, commending the Nigeria Customs Service for its leadership in advancing regional Customs cooperation. Mene highlighted the enduring challenges to Africa’s trade development, including limited logistics infrastructure, high transport costs, and weak inter-agency coordination.
The partnership between the NCS and the AfCFTA Secretariat is expected to play a crucial role in addressing these challenges and promoting sustainable trade cooperation in Africa. With the C-PACT Conference on the horizon, the stage is set for a significant boost to intra-African trade and economic integration. The success of this initiative will depend on the ability of Customs administrations and other stakeholders to work together to overcome the obstacles hindering Africa’s trade growth.