By George Ozalla
The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has called for the replication of the Nigeria Customs Service’s digital innovations across Africa, describing the Service’s technology-driven reforms as practical solutions to some of the continent’s longstanding customs and trade challenges.
Mene made the call on Thursday, August 6, 2026, during a working visit to the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, where he inspected the Service’s digital infrastructure and was briefed on its ongoing modernisation initiatives.
The AfCFTA Secretary-General commended the Nigeria Customs Service for developing indigenous technological solutions capable of improving customs administration, facilitating legitimate trade and strengthening revenue mobilisation.
He said the innovations being developed and deployed by the Service could provide a model for other African customs administrations, particularly countries still grappling with manual customs processes and inadequate digital infrastructure.
Mene observed that the continued reliance on manual procedures in several African countries had contributed to delays at borders, revenue leakages and other inefficiencies that negatively affected the movement of goods and ultimately constrained intra-African trade.
Against this background, he said Nigeria’s progress in digitalising customs operations presented an opportunity for other African countries to learn from and adopt proven solutions rather than developing similar systems from scratch.
“What we have seen today is truly state-of-the-art. I sincerely congratulate the NCS for what it has achieved within such a short period. We would like to work together and learn from what Nigeria has accomplished because this innovation has inherent benefits not only for Nigeria, but for the entire African continent,” Mene said.
He particularly highlighted the Nigeria Customs Service’s data centre, describing the facility as a strategic asset whose infrastructure and capabilities could have continental relevance.
According to him, the facility could serve as a reference point for African countries that lack the resources, infrastructure or technical capacity to establish comparable digital facilities, thereby supporting greater technological cooperation among customs administrations.
Mene said stronger digital systems were necessary to support the objectives of AfCFTA, particularly efforts to remove barriers to trade, improve the movement of goods across borders and increase intra-African commerce.
The visit also provided an opportunity for the AfCFTA leadership and the Nigeria Customs Service to examine areas of cooperation that could strengthen the interconnectivity of customs systems across the continent.
Responding, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, expressed appreciation to Mene for recognising the progress made by the Service in its modernisation programme and for his commitment to promoting deeper integration of African customs administrations.
Adeniyi said the Nigeria Customs Service was determined to continue expanding the frontiers of technology and innovation while drawing from global best practices and developing solutions suited to Africa’s peculiar trade environment.
“We sincerely appreciate your passion for promoting intra-African trade and strengthening the interconnectivity of customs systems across the continent. We are not done yet. We will continue to expand the frontiers of innovation, learning from global best practices while developing solutions that advance the peculiar interests of the African continent,” the Comptroller-General said.
He explained that the Service’s modernisation efforts were not limited to improving its internal operations but were also intended to support a more interconnected and efficient trading environment across Africa.
Adeniyi further pledged the continued collaboration of the Nigeria Customs Service with AfCFTA and other African customs administrations to deepen digital integration, facilitate legitimate trade and strengthen regional economic cooperation.
He said the Service was willing to share knowledge and experience with its counterparts across the continent as part of efforts to develop more efficient customs systems capable of responding to the changing demands of international and intra-African trade.
Adeniyi said the Service would continue to work with AfCFTA and other African customs administrations to deepen digital integration, facilitate legitimate trade and strengthen regional economic cooperation, adding that the recognition by the continental trade body would further encourage the NCS to sustain its investment in technology and innovation.
