Adeniyi, Elombi pledge stronger cooperation on trade facilitation, customs modernisation and regional integration as Nigeria intensifies efforts to unlock Africa’s single market….
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening trade across Africa through deeper collaboration aimed at improving customs operations, facilitating cross-border commerce and accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The renewed commitment was made 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, Adewale Adeniyi, at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting provided both institutions with an opportunity to assess ongoing joint initiatives and explore additional areas of cooperation that could promote regional economic integration and make trade across African borders more efficient.
Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi said the partnership is anchored on a shared vision of strengthening trade among African countries and unlocking the continent’s economic potential.
According to him, collaboration between the two institutions has already delivered measurable progress in customs modernisation and trade facilitation, particularly through initiatives designed to simplify customs procedures and improve the movement of goods across the continent.
“We are building a partnership between the two sides, 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,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss disclosed that the partnership will further support Afreximbank’s regional transit initiatives, fast-track the development of one-stop border posts along strategic trade corridors and encourage the adoption of international best practices in customs administration.
He added that support from Afreximbank has already contributed to improvements in regional transit systems, expressing confidence that closer cooperation would strengthen Africa’s competitiveness and create more opportunities for legitimate cross-border trade.
On his part, Elombi commended the Nigeria Customs Service for what he described as its proactive leadership in driving trade reforms across the continent.
He said the Service’s commitment reflects a strong institutional resolve to transform Africa’s trading environment and deepen regional economic cooperation.
“It is nice 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 Afreximbank’s readiness to expand its support for programmes that promote trade facilitation and accelerate the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
During the meeting, both parties also reviewed the outcomes of the inaugural Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) conference, hosted in Abuja in November 2025.
The event brought together customs administrations, development partners and private sector stakeholders from across the continent to discuss ways of harmonising customs procedures, strengthening institutional capacity and improving connectivity within Africa’s trade ecosystem.
Both organisations expressed optimism that their growing partnership would continue to remove barriers to intra-African trade and support the continent’s drive toward greater economic integration under the AfCFTA framework.
