Nigeria Customs, Afreximbank Strengthen Alliance to Accelerate Intra-African Trade, Border Reforms
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening trade facilitation across Africa by strengthening its strategic partnership with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), with both institutions pledging to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), expand one-stop border posts, and enhance regional transit systems.
The renewed commitment was made during a working visit by the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, 3 July 2026.
The meeting provided an opportunity for both organisations to assess the progress made in their existing collaboration while identifying fresh areas of cooperation aimed at promoting seamless cross-border trade, improving customs administration, and advancing regional economic integration across the African continent.
Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi described the partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service and Afreximbank as one driven by a common vision of unlocking Africa’s vast economic potential through stronger trade among African nations.
According to him, the collaboration has already produced measurable gains in customs modernisation and trade facilitation, particularly through initiatives focused on harmonising customs procedures and making the movement of goods across African borders faster and more efficient.
“We are building a partnership between the two sides, a partnership founded on a single conviction: that Africa’s best trading partners are within Africa itself, and our prosperity will be built on the trade we conduct within ourselves. From C-PACT to our ongoing work on trade facilitation, we are turning that conviction into practical cooperation,” the Customs boss said.
Adeniyi disclosed that the strengthened partnership would further support Afreximbank’s regional transit initiatives, fast-track the establishment of one-stop border posts along strategic trade corridors, and encourage the adoption of international best practices in customs administration.
He explained that the Nigeria Customs Service was already witnessing positive outcomes from the Bank’s support for regional transit systems, expressing confidence that the expanded collaboration would significantly enhance Africa’s competitiveness, reduce barriers to trade, and create greater opportunities for legitimate businesses operating across the continent.
The Comptroller-General also stressed that improving border efficiency remains critical to the success of the AfCFTA, noting that coordinated customs systems and simplified trade procedures would help reduce delays, lower the cost of doing business, and stimulate economic growth across Africa.
In his remarks, Elombi commended the Nigeria Customs Service for demonstrating proactive leadership in advancing continental trade reforms, describing the Service’s approach as evidence of a strong institutional commitment to transforming trade across Africa.
“It is nice to see the CGC taking the initiative to drive this kind of engagement, which demonstrates a clear commitment to transforming trade across the continent. We have the resources, and you have the will. Together, we can make this partnership work for Africa,” he said.
The Afreximbank President reaffirmed the Bank’s readiness to expand its support for programmes and initiatives that facilitate cross-border commerce, strengthen customs cooperation, and accelerate the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The discussions also reviewed the successful collaboration between both institutions on the maiden edition of the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), hosted in Abuja in November 2025.
The landmark initiative brought together customs administrations from across Africa, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to promote the harmonisation of customs procedures, strengthen institutional capacity, improve regional connectivity, and enhance the efficiency of Africa’s trading systems.
The renewed partnership underscores the growing collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and Afreximbank as both institutions continue to pursue practical measures aimed at removing trade barriers, improving border operations, and fostering greater economic integration under the AfCFTA framework, with the ultimate goal of expanding intra-African trade and driving sustainable economic development across the continent.
