The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the South-South Development Commission have announced plans to partner in enhancing trade facilitation, leading to regional economic growth.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, pledged the Service’s full support for the Commission when the Commission’s Managing Director, Usoro Akpabio, led her team on a courtesy visit to the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Speaking during their engagement, CGC Adeniyi congratulated the MD on her appointment, noting that the 2023 Customs Act had introduced far-reaching reforms whose implementation requires broad consultations.
He assured that Customs would keep conversations with the Commission open to ensure inclusivity and shared growth.
Adeniyi stated that, given the urgency of the issues at hand, both institutions should meet again soon to mobilise broader stakeholder participation.
He also congratulated the Commission on its inauguration, stressing that Customs’ management, including officers from outside the South-South region are committed to supporting its mandate.
The Customs boss suggested the creation of a joint working team that would serve as a sounding board for the partnership, especially in areas such as trade facilitation, border management, and economic integration.
He recalled that the NCS recently launched its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, designed to give back to host communities through projects that promote education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
He added that the initiative reflects the Service’s broader commitment to inclusive growth and strengthens its partnerships with stakeholders across regions.
On her part, Akpabio commended the reforms and modernisation efforts undertaken by Customs, describing them as exemplary.
She explained that the Commission, barely three weeks after inauguration, had been saddled with a broad mandate covering the blue economy, agriculture, human capital development, infrastructure, and utilities across the entire South-South region.
Akpabio emphasised the importance of Customs in the region’s economic blueprint, given its substantial presence in seaports, oil and gas operations, free trade zones, and border activities.
She assured that the Commission would pursue a strategic alliance with the Service that would outlive her tenure, promoting transparency, regional growth, and national development.
