The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has reiterated the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to collaborating closely with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to enhance continental trade integration, improve data accuracy, and address structural barriers hindering intra-African trade.
The Customs Chief made this known on Monday, 3 November 2025, during a courtesy visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, where he met with senior officials to discuss collaborative strategies for enhancing Customs efficiency and promoting the success of the AfCFTA Agreement.
During the meeting, CGC Adeniyi commended the Secretariat for its continuous role in mobilising key stakeholders, including Customs administrations, development partners, and economic operators, towards realising Africa’s trade potential. He stated that the ongoing partnership with the Secretariat had provided a clear pathway for the upcoming Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) conference, scheduled to take place in Abuja from November 17 to 19, 2025.
“The AfCFTA Secretariat has been beneficial in mobilising African Customs and economic operators. We have received a concept note from the Secretariat and have engaged in a series of meetings. We now have a clear direction in which we want to go during the meeting in Abuja on November 17,” he stated.
CGC Adeniyi highlighted that one of the key outcomes of these engagements was the consensus that Customs administrations must take a lead role in addressing the long-standing issue of deficiencies in trade data across the continent.
“Most importantly, we have heard discussions centring around the fact that Customs needs to take the front role in addressing the issue of deficiencies in our trade data across the continent. This is a challenge that I have accepted to play, working with my colleagues,” he affirmed.
He further noted that the current structure established by the AfCFTA Secretariat, which unites all heads of Customs administrations under one framework, must be strengthened to ensure long-term institutional coordination and policy consistency.
“The existing structure that brings together all heads of Customs under the AfCFTA must be reinforced. Once the Customs Pact is institutionalised, it should be able to operate effectively within the Secretariat’s framework to drive sustainable trade facilitation,” he added.
The Comptroller-General emphasised that addressing challenges such as poor data integration, policy fragmentation, and weak inter-agency cooperation remained critical to unlocking Africa’s full trade potential. He expressed optimism that the C-PACT Conference would set a new benchmark for Customs collaboration and data-driven governance across the continent.
Reacting to the Comptroller-General’s remarks, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, welcomed the Nigerian delegation to the Secretariat and commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its leadership in driving continental customs cooperation.
He acknowledged the persistent challenges against trade growth in Africa, including weak logistics infrastructure, high transportation costs, and limited inter-agency coordination. Mene explained that the Secretariat has continued to engage key stakeholders, particularly the private sector, Customs administrations, and ministries of trade, to foster stronger inter-ministerial collaboration and sustainable trade facilitation.
He expressed optimism that the upcoming Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) conference in Abuja would provide a valuable platform for addressing these barriers and exploring actionable solutions.
The Secretary-General further disclosed that the AfCFTA Secretariat is considering institutionalising the C-PACT conference as an annual event to sustain regional dialogue on Customs cooperation and data integration. Recalling an existing Memorandum of Understanding with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Mene said the partnership seeks to enhance private sector inclusion and support the issuance of e-certificates of origin across the continent. He also highlighted ongoing discussions regarding the development of a Single Bond Guarantee Scheme to strengthen the AfCFTA’s Annexe on Transit and enhance cross-border efficiency.
Emphasising the central role of Customs in the AfCFTA implementation process, Mene urged active participation of Customs administrations in shaping the continent’s trade data systems, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) mutual recognition frameworks, and overall trade statistics management.
