The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom have intensified efforts to finalise a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA) aimed at strengthening information sharing, compliance, and trade facilitation between the two countries.
The development followed a high-level bilateral meeting between the two customs administrations held from September 25 to 26, 2026.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who was represented at the meeting by the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of the Strategic, Research and Policy Department, Nafi’u Isyaku, stated that the engagement was part of efforts to conclude negotiations on the agreement ahead of its proposed signing in December.
He noted that negotiations had been conducted virtually for about six months before both sides decided to meet physically at the NCS headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, to finalise outstanding issues.
“The meeting is to finalise our Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA). We have been doing it virtually for some six months now. We decided to come here in person so that we can finalise the negotiations before the final signing, which hopefully is coming up in the first week of December during the World Customs Organisation Policy Commission meeting,” he said.
Speaking on the engagement, Senior Policy Adviser at HMRC, Syed Moinuddin, described the meeting as an opportunity for both customs administrations to work through areas of cooperation and establish a framework that reflects the interests of the two authorities.
Moinuddin mentioned that the engagement had also provided an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the NCS and HMRC within the wider customs family.
Also speaking, Head of Bilateral Relations and Agreements at HMRC, Louisa Bentley, said that negotiations held over the two days had been successful and that both sides were close to finalising the agreement.
“The agreement would boost trade by improving compliance and information sharing between HMRC and the NCS, while also enhancing compliance and trade facilitation to both partners in global trade opportunities,” Bentley remarked.
She also commended the reforms being implemented by the NCS following a tour of key facilities at the Customs headquarters, including the Trade Modernisation Project Limited office, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report office, and Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network station.
“We have seen significant developments in technology and personnel training,” she stated, adding that the reforms would support more modern and efficient trade processes.
