Finance Minister Flags Off 4th WCO-WCA Partners’ Conference in Abuja
…As CGC Adeniyi Unveils Bold Vision for Enhanced Regional Trade Efficiency
The Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, formally opened the 4th World Customs Organization (WCO) Donors’ Conference for the West and Central Africa (WCA) Region, reaffirming the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as a beacon of leadership in trade reforms and customs modernisation across the continent.
The high-profile gathering, hosted at the Muhammadu Buhari Conference Hall in Abuja, marked the first WCO-WCA donors’ conference since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and attracted top stakeholders committed to transforming customs operations and fostering economic integration across West and Central Africa.
Declaring the conference open, the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Olawale Edun, lauded the NCS for what he described as a stellar performance in revenue generation and institutional reform.
“I am proud to commend the Nigeria Customs Service for its remarkable performance achieving a 90 per cent increase in revenue collection and surpassing its target by 20 per cent,” Edun stated.
“These achievements, driven by modernised processes and WCO-supported initiatives, illustrate how strategic investments and technology can revolutionise trade and strengthen regional integration,” he added.
In his keynote address, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, acknowledged the formidable technical and operational challenges hampering the region’s customs administrations.
He pointed to inadequate digital infrastructure and poor interconnectivity as persistent obstacles to efficient trade facilitation.
“Our region faces significant hurdles, from the rapid evolution of e-commerce to the complexities of technical procedures,” Adeniyi observed. “However, Nigeria has made innovative strides with initiatives such as the deployment of the indigenously developed B’Odogwu platform, installation of advanced scanners, and comprehensive training of over 5,000 officers.”
CGC Adeniyi further used the platform to unveil five priority areas requiring donor collaboration. These include the integration of artificial intelligence in anti-smuggling operations, the establishment of a Regional Single Window system, and the expansion of digital infrastructure to enhance inter-agency collaboration and improve transparency in cross-border trade.
The conference assembled a distinguished roster of participants, including Mr Ebenezer Tafili, representing the Secretary General of the WCO; Mr Amadou Konaté, Vice-Chair of WCO-WCA and Director-General of Mali Customs; Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency; heads of customs from across the region, representatives of donor agencies, Nigeria-owned Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) Limited, diplomatic corps, and key industry stakeholders.
The 4th WCO-WCA Donors’ Conference continues in Abuja, with participants expected to explore collaborative frameworks for funding customs innovation and deepening regional trade integration in alignment with global best practices.
