The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has called for sweeping customs reforms driven by efficiency, innovation, and proactive strategies to strengthen Africa’s competitiveness in global trade.
Adeniyi made the charge in Abuja during the closing ceremony of the Customs–Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Conference, themed “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.”
The high-level forum was jointly convened by the NCS and Afreximbank, with strategic support from the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
Africa Must Shift from Reactive to Proactive Trade Practices — Adeniyi
The NCS boss, who also serves as Chairperson of the WCO Council, expressed concern over reports presented during the conference which showed that trading within Africa remains more difficult than trading with markets outside the continent.
According to him, reversing this trend requires a deliberate mindset shift:
“My gratitude will be full if all of us leave here with a changed mindset — that within our individual spaces, we will do everything possible to ease the movement of goods originating from Africa,” he said.
Adeniyi stressed that every customs officer, whether stationed at Seme, Aflao, Gibiya or any other border post, holds an obligation to create a safe and seamless passage for African products, thereby boosting the volume of intra-African trade.
Intra-African Trade Cannot Be Transformed by Conferences Alone
While expressing satisfaction with the quality of contributions, Adeniyi emphasized that the continent’s ambition to expand intra-African trade goes far beyond a two- or three-day conference.
He urged customs administrations and trade regulators to apply the insights, technical knowledge, and strategies shared at the conference to improve their daily operations.
According to him, the conference’s success reflects the commitment invested in its planning, and he expressed confidence that future editions of C-PACT would deliver even greater impact.
Afreximbank Pledges Continued Support for C-PACT
In her remarks, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade at Afreximbank, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to institutionalising the C-PACT platform.
Represented by Mr. Arthemon Ndizeye, she noted that Afreximbank plans to align the conference with the prestigious Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF).
Awani and other delegates shared optimism that C-PACT should become an annual continental event, given the high value of its discussions on customs modernization and trade facilitation.
AfCFTA Hails C-PACT as a Major Step Toward a Single African Market
Vice President of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, described C-PACT as a significant milestone in the push to simplify and standardise trade processes across Africa.
Speaking through Dr. Willie Shumba, Senior Customs Expert at AfCFTA, he noted that the outcomes of the conference would strengthen:
- Customs-to-business cooperation
- Customs-to-customs collaboration
- Trade facilitation across the continent
“This is the essence of AfCFTA — creating a single African market where goods can move freely. We thank the Nigeria Customs Service for its leadership,” he said.
A Convergence of Africa’s Top Customs and Trade Leaders
The conference attracted Heads of Customs from more than 30 African countries, alongside senior government officials, port administrators, investors, manufacturers, and other key players in the continent’s trade ecosystem.
With its strong focus on collaboration, technology-driven customs procedures, and continental integration, the 2025 C-PACT conference is poised to shape the future of Africa’s trade architecture.
