The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat have strengthened their partnership to enhance continental trade integration, improve data accuracy, and address structural barriers hindering intra-African trade.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, reiterated the NCS‘s commitment to the cause when he paid a courtesy visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, on Monday, November 3, 2025.
Upon his arrival, CGC Adeniyi met with senior officials to discuss collaborative strategies for enhancing Customs efficiency and promoting the success of the AfCFTA Agreement.
Speaking during the meeting, he commended the Secretariat for its continuous role in mobilising key stakeholders, including Customs administrations, development partners, and economic operators, towards realising Africa’s trade potential.
Adeniyi revealed that the ongoing partnership with the Secretariat had provided a clear pathway 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 AfCFTA Secretariat has been beneficial in mobilising African Customs and economic operators. We have received a concept note from the Secretariat and have engaged in a series of meetings. We now have a clear direction in which we want to go during the meeting in Abuja on November 17,” he stated.
The CGC noted that one of the key outcomes of these engagements was the consensus that Customs administrations must take a lead role in addressing the long-standing issue of deficiencies in trade data across the continent.
“Most importantly, we have heard discussions centring around the fact that Customs needs to take the front role in addressing the issue of deficiencies in our trade data across the continent. This is a challenge that I have accepted to play, working with my colleagues,” he affirmed.
CGC Adeniyi also stated that the current structure established by the AfCFTA Secretariat, which unites all heads of Customs administrations under one framework, must be strengthened to ensure long-term institutional coordination and policy consistency.
“The existing structure that brings together all heads of Customs under the AfCFTA must be reinforced. Once the Customs Pact is institutionalised, it should be able to operate effectively within the Secretariat’s framework to drive sustainable trade facilitation,” he added.
The Customs boss emphasised that addressing challenges such as poor data integration, policy fragmentation, and weak inter-agency cooperation is critical to unlocking Africa’s full trade potential.
He further expressed optimism that the C-PACT Conference would set a new benchmark for Customs collaboration and data-driven governance across the continent.
On his part, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, welcomed the Nigerian delegation to the Secretariat and commended the NCS for its leadership in driving continental customs cooperation.
Mene acknowledged the persistent challenges against trade growth in Africa, including weak logistics infrastructure, high transportation costs, and limited inter-agency coordination.
He explained that the Secretariat has continued to engage key stakeholders, particularly the private sector, Customs administrations, and ministries of trade, to foster stronger inter-ministerial collaboration and sustainable trade facilitation.
Mene expressed confidence that the upcoming Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) conference in Abuja would provide a valuable platform for addressing these barriers and exploring actionable solutions.
He further disclosed that the AfCFTA Secretariat is considering institutionalising the C-PACT conference as an annual event to sustain regional dialogue on Customs cooperation and data integration.
The Secretary-General recalled an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), saying that the partnership seeks to enhance private sector inclusion and support the issuance of e-certificates of origin across the continent.
Mene highlighted ongoing discussions regarding the development of a Single Bond Guarantee Scheme to strengthen the AfCFTA’s Annexe on Transit and enhance cross-border efficiency.
He stressed the central role of Customs in the AfCFTA implementation process, urging active participation of Customs administrations in shaping the continent’s trade data systems, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) mutual recognition frameworks, and overall trade statistics management.
