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AfCFTA Secretary-General solicits support of Nigeria Customs for implementation of continental trade agreement

 

–—lauds automation system of the service as  world-class

Eyewitness reporters

The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) has declared that the expertise and experience of the Nigeria Customs Service are critical to the successful implementation of the continental trade agreement.

Mr. Wamkele Mene, the Secretary-General of the Continental trade body disclosed this Wednesday when he led a team from the secretariat of the Continental trade at Accra, Ghana to the Apapa Customs Command.

The AfCFTA Scribe and his entourage were in the Apapa command to seek firsthand information on the automation process of the Nigeria Customs service.

Mr Mene and his entourage, who were taken through a practical demonstration of the automation process by the Apapa Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Malanta Ibrahim Yusuf, were full of praises for the advanced form of automation process of the Nigeria Customs Service which he said they were ready to learn and adopt as a model for other African countries, some of which he said their Customs operations are still in a primitive level.

”We cannot implement the agreement without the Customs authorities. We cannot leave the implementation to the policy people in the ministries of trade. We need the Customs authorities as the pillar of successful implementation of the trade agreement.” he said.

He revealed that the Secretariat has hosted five meetings in Accra of the heads of Customs in Africa where they were asked for their support and input on how to implement the trade agreement.

”Without their involvement, we cannot succeed” he reiterated.

Earlier, Comptroller Yusuf, in a slide show, explained the automation and digitalisation process of Customs operations and how it evolved from 1998 with the ACYCUDA project and how it went through a different transformation to the present level of enhanced automation level that has made Customs processes seamless, faster, quicker.

He also discussed the trade facilitation process at the Customs, especially at the Apapa command which is the flagship of the Nigeria Customs service.

This was followed by a physical demonstration by taking the AfCFTA team to the CPC and the APMT .

An apparently impressed AfCFTA Secretary-General said Nigeria has a world-class automation process which the Secretariat will adopt as a model for other less endowed countries, some of which Customs operations are still manually done.

”My assessment is that the Nigeria Customs automation system is a top-class system, it is digital, it is automated. It is world-class.

”As I earlier mentioned, sometimes we mention Singapore and Dubai but we have our own success story here on the continent, particularly when it comes to digital systems.

”So I congratulate the Nigeria Customs service for all of the technological innovations to move ahead and take the lead.

”There are others who simply don’t have the system, we will have to meet them up to make sure all of us are at the same level of automation”

”Different countries in the continent are in different levels of automation and that is a problem because it means that our systems are not speaking to one another.

”Our responsibility is to think about how to develop a system to bring us to the same level, and that is what we learned that Nigeria is moving ahead in automation and digitalisation.

”As a secretariat, our role therefore will be to create a system or encourage an automation system that all customs authorities can have confidence in.

”There would be challenges, some countries will not be ready,  while some counties will say they have challenges with the internet, with the borders, we should expect there would be these challenges.

”But I think if we invest in soft infrastructures, and digital systems that will make a trade to be faster, more efficient, and quicker at affordable rates, that is exactly what we should be striving for.

”There are different levels of automation. Some countries simply don’t have it. It is still manual, everything is done by hand.

”So all of the systems that Nigeria Customs have, we cannot say all African countries have them. So we have to make sure we learn from those who have the system and we roll out the models of such systems they have introduced as you have done here in Nigeria and make sure they use this automation and our systems inter- operatable so that if you are trading goods from Ghana to Togo, Togo to Benin, Benin to Nigeria, Nigeria to Niger, that is a seamless system and that is going to take investing, it will require resources.

”That is not the concern of Nigeria, that has to be our concern at the Secretariat to make sure we mobilise resources for a customs system that is automated for the African continent.

”It may not happen next month or this year but we have to make sure we do it in the next three to four years mobilising these investments”, he declared`

Mr Mene disclosed that the objective of their visit is to learn the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service as his team has done in other African countries they have visited.

According to him, this will enable the Secretariat effectively integrate all Customs operations in African countries into AfCFTA implementation if they were to meet the target set by the African Heads of states that trade within the African continent should double by 2035.

He further disclosed that there are three annexes that are critical to the successful implementation of the trade agreement.

These include trade facilitation, Customs procedures and transit of goods.

He said that is the reason why the involvement of the customs authorities in the continent is vital to the success of AfCFTA.

The AfCFTA scribe, therefore, congratulated Nigeria for its invaluable contributions to the continental trade agreement.

”I congratulate Nigeria for being an active participant in the rule of origin negotiations as well as the Heads of Customs authorities.

”We value your contributions to AfCFTA. We need your experience and expertise for the successful implementation of the trade agreement” he declared.

 

 

 

 

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Customs

Customs collects N1.585 trillion from 51 compliant traders under AEO programme 

Funso OLOJO,  Editor 
The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), one of the trade facilitation tools introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service in 2025, has begun to yield bountiful harvests with the revenue growth of ₦362.79 billion recorded in 2025.
According to the AEO scorecard released by the Service, the facilitation tool grossed the sum of N1.585 trillion after certification, an increase revenue from N1.222 trillion before certification.
This represents the growth of N362.79 billion(29.68 per cent) for 51 AEO – certified entities as at October, 2025.
The Programme, according to the NCS,  also contributed 21.77% to its total revenue collection of ₦7.281 trillion in 2025, while customs duties paid rose by 85.66% due to enhanced compliance and increased volumes of legitimate trade.
According to AEO Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Report, the Programme achieved an average compliance rate of 85.45 per cent with the highest at 100 per cent and the lowest at 60 per cent.
“The evaluation applied rigorous methodologies to ensure objectivity, transparency, and alignment with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards and the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
“In the area of trade facilitation, AEO participation reduced average cargo clearance time from 168 hours to 41 hours, representing a 75.60% time saving.
“Company operating costs declined by 57.2 per cent while demurrage payments dropped by 90 per cent, limiting capital flight to foreign-owned port service providers and strengthening foreign exchange retention.
” Overall trade efficiency improved by 77.11 per  through digitalisation, simplified procedures, and targeted risk management” the Customs declared in the AEO scorecard.
However, the Service singled out with Eight companies for commendation due to their integrity and compliance under the programme.
The companies include Coleman Technical Industries Limited, WACOT Rice Limited, ROMSON Oil Field Services Ltd, WACOT Limited, Chi Farms Ltd, CORMART Nigeria Ltd, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited and MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.
The Service lauded them for a cumulative voluntary remittance of over a billion naira into the Federation Account following their self-initiated transaction review and disclosure.
“These actions reflect the strengthening of post-clearance audit mechanisms and a growing culture of voluntary compliance within the trading community.
Nevertheless, the Service suspended a firm under the programme for its non- compliance and display of lack of integrity.
The suspended firm engaged in false declaration of consignments contrary to programme obligations.
“Consequently, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, directed the immediate suspension of the company’s AEO status in accordance with the AEO Guidelines, the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards, and Section 112 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
The NCS reiterated that the AEO Programme is founded on trust, transparency, and continuous compliance.
“While compliant operators will continue to benefit from expedited clearance and reduced inspection, appropriate sanctions will be applied where violations are established.
“The Service remains resolute in safeguarding national revenue, facilitating legitimate trade, and preserving the integrity and global credibility of Nigeria’s AEO framework” the NCS concluded in the report.
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Customs

Customs takes delivery, commissions 60- bed hospital donated by BUA Group in Bauchi

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter 
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, officially commissioned the Abdul Samad Rabiu / Nigeria Customs Service Hospital in Bauchi, a 60-bed healthcare facility constructed and donated by Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of ASR Africa and Founder/Executive Chairman of BUA Group.
The hospital, delivered through the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, is expected to significantly expand healthcare access for Customs officers, their families and host communities across Zone ‘D’ and neighbouring states.
Describing the project as a strategic welfare investment, the CGC said the facility reflects the Service’s commitment to strengthening institutional capacity through improved personnel wellbeing.
 “This commissioning is a clear statement that the NCS prioritises the health and welfare of its officers,” he stated.
“A modern Service requires not only technology and operational reforms, but also strong social infrastructure that supports those who serve.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of ASR Africa, Dr Ubon Udoh, emphasised the intervention’s sustainability focus.
“ASR Africa is committed to impact-driven philanthropy,” he said. “Our partnership with the NCS demonstrates what can be achieved when private sector commitment aligns with institutional reform and clear developmental goals.”
Also delivering a message on behalf of the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, the Secretary to the State Government, Aminu Hammayo, described the commissioning as a boost to the state’s healthcare ecosystem.
“This facility will complement existing public health institutions and improve access to specialised services,” he said.
 “It reflects the value of collaboration between government and responsible corporate entities.”
The hospital’s commissioning marks the culmination of a phased transformation that began in 2008 with the establishment of a basic health post at the Zone ‘D’ Headquarters, Bauchi.
It was subsequently upgraded to a clinic, and later a medical centre, before a 2023 partnership between the NCS and ASR Africa converted it into a 30-bed hospital, completed in April 2025.
Following a needs assessment, the CGC approved the remodelling and expansion of the facility into a 60-bed secondary healthcare facility with selected tertiary services.
Now equipped with seven clinical departments: Nursing Services, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pediatrics, Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory, alongside Administrative and Health Information Management units, as well as Dental, Radiology and Nutrition units.
The hospital is projected to manage up to 300 patients per month during its first operational year.
Long-term expansion plans include advanced diagnostics such as CT scans and MRI, as well as specialised surgical procedures, positioning the facility as a referral centre across the North-East and parts of North-Central Nigeria.
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Customs

Ahead of Customs’ paperless operations in June, Comptroller Onyeka declares Tin Can Customs trade enabler

Funso OLOJO, Editor 
Barely few days after the Comptroller- General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, announced that the Customs will migrate to paperless operations in June, 2026, the Tin Can command of the Service has made an elaborate preparation to key into the digital platform.
Even though, the Customs High Command is yet to release the blue print for the take -off of the digital revolution in goods clearance, the Controller of Tin Can Customs, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, has declared that his command is ready to hit the ground running.
To this end, Comptroller Onyeka has declared Tin Can Island Customs as a trade enabler where seamless operations will be the order of the day.
While speaking with the maritime media on Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, Onyeka stated that as long as an importer or his agent makes an honest declaration and the consignment is not flagged, such goods will leave the customs control within the 48 hours clearance time being envisaged by the Customs under its paperless operations regime.
Comptroller Onyeka further disclosed that his command will aim at collecting collectable revenue instead of maximum revenue which often leaves no room for trader to handle logistics costs and other sundry charges.
“By focusing on collectable revenue, we ensure that the trader makes profit, return to the market and continues to contribute to the society.
“I want to be known as a trade enabler personified” Comptroller Onyeka enthused.
While making projection into the year 2026, the Customs chief said the command recorded a lot of positives in 2025 when it surpassed the revenue target for that year and when a record revenue collection of 26 billion was recorded in a single day, a feat that was unprecedented in the history of the command.
Onyeka said the command started the year 2026 on a good revenue trajectory with the collection of  N145. 9bn in January, representing a 25.3 percent increase when compared to the N116.4billon  collected in January 2025.
He acknowledged the support of the media for its “constructive reportage” which acted as a catalyst for the good performance of the command in 2025.
While soliciting for the continued support of journalists in 2026, Comptroller Onyeka said his officers have been well primed to confront the challenges ahead.
He dismissed the fears of possible network glitches which stakeholders expressed may hamper the success of the paperless operations, saying such eventuality will be surmounted just as the teething problems which plagued B’ Odogwu platform at take off were conquered.
“Despite the teething problems with B’Odogwu,  we have recorded tremendous success, so we are ready for the paperless operations.
“There could be network issues but I want to urge the trading public to build capacity.
“With that, you can complete container clearance entirely online, with no physical contact with customs officers.
“If your declaration is not flagged, the process will be seamless, there will be no reason to come and see anyone.
“We cannot guarantee a perfect system from day one, but those challenges will not stop us.
” The more traders declare correctly and honestly, the smoother this process becomes for everyone,” he declared while advising importers to palletise their consignments.
It could be recalled that while launching the Customs’ One- Stop- Shop(OSS) on Friday, February 13th, 2026, the Comptroller- General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the Service is advancing toward a fully paperless customs environment, with the first phase of digital clearance and documentation processes scheduled for rollout by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
“This platform is a deliberate shift from fragmented interventions to coordinated governance, from discretion to data, and from isolated actions to collective responsibility,” Adeniyi had declared.
 “Through this reform, we continue to build systems that support lawful trade, protect national interests and serve the economy with professionalism and integrity.” he concluded.
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