By Peace Udugba — The Daily Torch Media
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will host two major conferences in Abuja in December 2026 to strengthen border security, facilitate legitimate trade and promote economic integration across Africa.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference will hold from December 7 to 8, while the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) 2026 Conference is scheduled for December 9 to 11.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NCS National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, the conferences are part of the Service’s commitment to improving Customs administration, strengthening regional cooperation and advancing Africa’s trade integration agenda.
The CGC Conference, themed “Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities,” will provide a platform to assess the Service’s modernisation efforts, review previous commitments and examine the relationship between effective Customs administration, national security and trade facilitation.
The C-PACT 2026 Conference, with the theme “One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts,” will extend the discussions to the continental level, focusing on coordinated border management and digital connectivity across Africa.
The CGC Conference will bring together government officials, Customs leaders, trade stakeholders and institutional partners to review progress in implementing modernisation and trade facilitation reforms.
Its sub-themes are “Enabling African Trade: Digital Customs, Trusted Corridors and Seamless Payments” and “Secure Borders, Safer Communities: Intelligence, Partnership and Trust at the Frontline.”
Participants will review commitments made in 2025 and assess results achieved in 2026. The programme will also feature presentations on Customs modernisation, the presentation of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificates and discussions on measuring the impact of reforms on trade and revenue.
Other areas of focus will include intelligence-led enforcement, emerging border threats, inter-agency collaboration and the professional responsibilities of Customs officers in protecting communities and maintaining public trust.
Digital Transformation, Inter-Agency Cooperation in Focus
A major component of the CGC Conference will be an examination of how digital transformation and stakeholder partnerships are improving Customs operations.
Stakeholders expected to participate include AEO beneficiaries, the National Single Window Secretariat, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), excise-sector representatives and other relevant institutions.
Their discussions will focus on assessing the outcomes of ongoing reforms and identifying areas requiring further improvement.
The second day of the conference will concentrate on coordinated responses to emerging and interconnected border threats.
Relevant security and enforcement agencies expected to participate include the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
C-PACT 2026 to Promote African Trade Integration
Building on the national conference, C-PACT 2026 will provide a continental platform for Customs administrations, policymakers, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Regional Economic Communities, border management agencies, development partners, technology providers and private-sector stakeholders to strengthen cooperation in African trade.
The conference will address persistent challenges affecting cross-border commerce, including fragmented procedures, duplicated controls, limited information exchange, incompatible digital systems and inadequate coordination among border agencies.
It will also examine how One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), supported by interconnected Customs platforms, coordinated risk management, harmonised procedures and secure information exchange, can reduce delays, lower trade costs and improve the movement of goods across African trade corridors.
The programme will feature high-level policy dialogues, strategic discussions among Customs administrations, technical sessions on connected borders, presentations on operational experiences from existing and emerging OSBPs, technology demonstrations and discussions on public-private partnerships for financing and developing modern border infrastructure.
Participants will also consider the implementation of key AfCFTA initiatives, including the AfCFTA Integrated Transit System, the Single Bond Guarantee Scheme and the Electronic Certificate of Origin system.
The conference is expected to produce practical recommendations, identify priority technology and investment opportunities, strengthen institutional partnerships and develop an implementation-focused roadmap for interconnected, digitally enabled border systems across the continent.
NCS Reaffirms Commitment to Reforms
The NCS, under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with national institutions, regional partners and international stakeholders to secure borders, facilitate legitimate trade and support Africa’s economic integration agenda.
According to the Service, the two conferences will reinforce accountability for ongoing reforms while promoting practical solutions that connect border security with trade facilitation, technological innovation and safer communities.
The outcomes are expected to improve Customs operations, strengthen regional cooperation and advance the AfCFTA’s objectives of building a more integrated, competitive and prosperous African market.
