Nigeria Customs Pledges Enhanced Intra-African Trade Facilitation as CGC Meets AfCFTA Sec. Gen.
Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, in a move aimed at bolstering intra-African trade, has met with the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, during the Biashara Afrika 2024 forum held in Kigali, Rwanda.
The high-level meeting, which took place from 9th to 11th October 2024, brought together key stakeholders to explore strategies for overcoming trade barriers and fostering deeper economic integration across the continent.
The discussions, held on the sidelines of the forum, centred on enhancing trade facilitation under the AfCFTA agreement, with a particular focus on addressing the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking to tap into the opportunities offered by the free trade area.
Both leaders underscored the pivotal role of customs administrations in driving this transformation.
AfCFTA Secretary General Mene commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its progressive reforms, noting that initiatives such as the pilot phase of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, the implementation of Advanced Rulings, and the conduct of Time Release studies have positioned the NCS as a benchmark for other customs services across Africa.
“These initiatives have positioned the NCS as a benchmark for customs administrations across Africa,” Mene remarked.
In response, CGC Adeniyi expressed gratitude for the recognition and lauded Mene’s dedication to the AfCFTA’s objectives, despite the resource limitations faced by the AfCFTA Secretariat.
He emphasised the crucial role that Nigeria’s Customs Service Act 2023 has played in shaping the legal framework necessary for executing initiatives aligned with the country’s vision of becoming the continent’s most efficient trading hub.
“The Act has been instrumental in providing the necessary legal framework for implementing initiatives that align with the government’s vision of making Nigeria the most efficient trading nation on the continent, fostering SME growth, and boosting exports to strengthen intra-African trade,” Adeniyi stated.
The meeting also celebrated the achievement of Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, CEO of LE LOOK Nigeria Limited, who became the first woman to export goods under the AfCFTA’s Guided Trade Initiative (GTI).
Her successful export of goods to East, Central, and North African countries, from Apapa Port in Lagos on 16th July 2024, was highlighted as a testament to the growing potential for Nigerian businesses to thrive in the continental market.
A major outcome of the discussions was the AfCFTA Secretariat’s commitment to draft a concept note that would map out the way forward for trade facilitation within the free trade area.
Additionally, the Nigeria Customs Service pledged to bring these deliberations to the Heads of Customs Administrations platform across Africa to ensure a unified approach to tackling customs-related challenges on the continent.
The Biashara Afrika forum, now in its second edition, has quickly established itself as a vital platform for fostering collaboration between public and private sector actors in Africa.
This year’s edition focused on tackling the evolving challenges of the business environment while seeking innovative solutions to streamline cross-border trade under the AfCFTA agreement.
