By Peace Udugba
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing intra-African trade by strengthening its partnership with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to improve trade facilitation, enhance customs cooperation, and accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The commitment was reaffirmed during a working visit by the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr. George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, at the Service Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
The meeting provided an opportunity for both institutions to review the progress of their collaboration and identify new areas of cooperation aimed at promoting seamless cross-border trade and deeper regional economic integration.
Speaking during the visit, Adeniyi described the partnership as one driven by a shared vision of unlocking Africa’s economic potential through stronger trade among African countries. He noted that the collaboration had already produced tangible results in customs modernisation and trade facilitation through initiatives designed to harmonise customs procedures and improve the movement of goods across the continent.
“We are building 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.
He disclosed that the partnership would support Afreximbank’s regional transit initiatives, accelerate the development of one-stop border posts along key trade corridors, and promote the adoption of global best practices to strengthen customs administration.
According to him, the Service is already recording positive outcomes from the Bank’s support for regional transit systems and expressed confidence that the collaboration would further enhance Africa’s competitiveness and expand opportunities for legitimate trade.
On his part, Afreximbank President, Dr. George Elombi, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its proactive leadership, describing the engagement as a demonstration of strong institutional commitment to transforming trade across the continent.
“It is encouraging 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,” Elombi said.
He also reaffirmed the Bank’s readiness to expand its support for initiatives that facilitate trade and strengthen the implementation of the AfCFTA.
The meeting also reviewed the successful collaboration between both institutions on the maiden edition of the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), held in Abuja in November 2025. The event brought together customs administrations, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise customs procedures, strengthen institutional capacity, and improve connectivity across Africa’s trading systems.
