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 enhance trade facilitation, deepen 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 both institutions with an opportunity to review the progress of their collaboration and identify new areas of cooperation aimed at promoting seamless cross-border trade and accelerating regional economic integration.
Welcoming the Afreximbank delegation, CGC Adeniyi described the partnership as one founded on a shared vision of unlocking Africa’s economic potential through stronger trade among African nations. He noted that the collaboration has continued to deliver tangible results in customs modernisation and trade facilitation, particularly through initiatives focused on harmonising customs procedures and improving 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 driven by the trade we conduct among ourselves,” he said. “From C-PACT to our ongoing work on trade facilitation, we are translating that conviction into practical cooperation.”
The Comptroller-General further disclosed that the partnership would support Afreximbank’s regional transit initiatives, accelerate the development of one-stop border posts along strategic trade corridors, and promote the adoption of global best practices to strengthen customs administration. He added that the Service was 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 while expanding opportunities for legitimate trade.
Commending the Nigeria Customs Service for its proactive leadership, Afreximbank President Dr. George Elombi described the Service’s approach 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 engagement, demonstrating a clear commitment to transforming trade across Africa,” Elombi said. “We have the resources, and you have the will. Together, we can make this partnership work for Africa.”
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.