by George Ozalla
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on African nations to break down inefficient borders, modernise their Customs systems and align fully with a unified trade architecture capable of transforming the continent’s economic prospects. He made the call on Monday while declaring open the maiden Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade Summit at the State House in Abuja, where he was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Shettima told delegates that Africa’s economic future depends on deliberate reforms that convert its vast population and market size into a functional, competitive bloc. He said African countries must replace fragmented markets with coordinated policies and the political will to deploy technology that simplifies commerce. According to him, the administration’s economic reforms, including exchange rate unification, fuel subsidy removal, port upgrades and stronger Customs digitalisation, were designed to create a globally competitive trade environment that enhances Nigeria’s continental influence.
The Vice President announced that Nigeria’s National Single Window will go live in March 2026, reducing clearance timelines from 21 days to fewer than seven and placing the country in full alignment with the digital trade requirements of the African Continental Free Trade Area. He said African governments must convert commitments into measurable outcomes that traders, manufacturers and logistics operators experience in their daily operations, stressing that regional integration must be deliberately engineered.
Speaking at the summit, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the extension of his mandate by President Tinubu includes clear performance targets tied to AfCFTA implementation. He explained that the Nigeria Customs Service has intensified engagements with Customs administrations across the continent to ensure that rules of origin enforcement, preferential duty application and trade preference administration are handled with greater precision. He recalled recent meetings with the AfCFTA Secretariat in Ghana and said effective implementation of a free trade agreement requires capacity building and firm political commitment from member states.
Adeniyi noted that previous regional integration initiatives, including the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, suffered setbacks because countries failed to implement agreed measures consistently. He said AfCFTA must avoid that pattern and added that despite different levels of readiness across African regions, recent engagements have helped strengthen consensus that Customs must sit at the centre of the agreement’s execution. He said sustained advocacy for Customs involvement led to the creation of C-PACT, a framework for deeper cooperation among Customs administrations, private-sector operators and international partners.
The Customs chief disclosed that Nigeria’s export volume has grown by more than 30 percent in two years, adding that the next phase is to redirect more of that trade into African markets where opportunities are expanding and the potential impact is greater. He commended AfreximBank, the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, commercial banks, the Nigerian Ports Authority and other agencies for working closely with the Service to strengthen trade facilitation. He also announced that 30 African Customs administrations had registered for the conference, with 22 represented at Director-General level, and noted that the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organisation is attending a Nigeria-hosted Customs meeting for the first time.
Representing the Minister of Finance, Dr Wale Edun, the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Anite, said Customs reforms remain central to Nigeria’s fiscal transformation. She said efficient border operations reduce the cost of doing business, boost investor confidence and enhance Nigeria’s capacity to compete regionally and globally. She highlighted government support for the full digitisation of Customs operations, improvements in risk management and stricter alignment with global standards.
Minister of Trade, Investment and Industry, Jumoke Oduwole, said AfCFTA remains Africa’s most critical economic instrument but noted that outdated systems and administrative delays still hinder its benefits. She outlined ongoing reforms, including new tariff concession schedules and a dedicated air-cargo export corridor linking Nigeria with East and Southern Africa.
World Customs Organisation Secretary-General Ian Saunders said Africa’s growth outlook for 2025 is positive but warned that the continent’s ability to harness that potential depends heavily on Customs efficiency. He said the C-PACT framework aligns with the WCO’s mission to support Customs administrations through standards, training and operational guidance.
AfreximBank’s Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade, Kanayo Awani, said the Bank is supporting Customs modernisation across Africa through transit-bond guarantees, digital tracking systems and the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund designed to cushion tariff revenue losses. She said AfCFTA will not achieve its aims without harmonised and interoperable Customs systems.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene said successful implementation of the agreement’s annexes on Customs cooperation, transit and trade facilitation requires Customs leadership at every stage. He commended Nigeria’s leadership role and the Comptroller-General’s work as Chair of the WCO Council, saying Customs remains central to turning trade rules into practical border outcomes that lower costs, reduce bureaucracy and protect African producers.
The C-PACT Summit continues this week in Abuja, hosting African Customs chiefs, private operators, regulators and global partners seeking to strengthen the continent’s trade architecture.
