Nigeria customs service (NCS) has pledged its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to boost intra-African trade, improve data accuracy, and tackle structural barriers limiting regional integration.

The Comptroller-General (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, made this known during a courtesy visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, where he met with senior officials to discuss strategies for enhancing Customs efficiency and advancing the goals of the AfCFTA Agreement.

He commended the Secretariat for its ongoing role in mobilising key stakeholders including Customs administrations, development partners, and private-sector operators to drive Africa’s trade growth.

Adeniyi said the existing partnership between both institutions had laid the groundwork for the upcoming Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Conference, billed to hold in Abuja from November 17 to 19, 2025.

“The AfCFTA Secretariat has been instrumental in coordinating Customs and economic operators across Africa. We have reviewed the concept note from the Secretariat and held a series of meetings. We now have a clear roadmap for the Abuja conference,” Adeniyi said.

He noted that one major outcome of the collaboration was the consensus that Customs administrations must take the lead in resolving the persistent gaps in trade data across the continent.

“Customs must play a front-line role in addressing trade data deficiencies. This is a challenge I have accepted to champion, working closely with my counterparts across Africa,” the Comptroller-General stated.

Adeniyi also commented on the need to strengthen the framework created by the AfCFTA Secretariat, which brings together all heads of Customs administrations under one umbrella.

He said once institutionalised through the Customs Pact, the framework would ensure consistency and coordination in Customs policies and trade facilitation.

“The structure uniting all Customs heads under AfCFTA must be reinforced. Once the Customs Pact is institutionalised, it will operate effectively within the Secretariat’s system to promote sustainable trade cooperation,” he added.

He further identified weak data integration, fragmented policies, and poor inter-agency collaboration as key obstacles hindering Africa’s trade expansion.

He expressed confidence that the C-PACT Conference would set a new standard for Customs collaboration and data-driven decision-making across the continent.

In his remarks, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, welcomed Adeniyi and his delegation, commending the Nigeria Customs Service for its leadership in advancing regional Customs cooperation.

Mene highlighted the enduring challenges to Africa’s trade development, including limited logistics infrastructure, high transport costs, and weak inter-agency coordination.

He said the Secretariat continues to engage key stakeholders particularly Customs administrations, trade ministries, and the private sector to foster stronger collaboration and effective policy implementation.

“The Secretariat is working closely with Customs and trade institutions to overcome existing challenges. The upcoming C-PACT Conference in Abuja provides a crucial platform to develop practical solutions and deepen cooperation,” Mene said.

He reaffirmed AfCFTA’s support for the Nigeria Customs Service’s Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) initiative, describing it as a strategic platform for driving trade facilitation and reinforcing Customs’ central role in the implementation of the AfCFTA.