…Nigeria Customs’s initiative emerges as a benchmark for Customs administrations across Africa!
BY GODWIN OBI
Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement AfCFTA got a boost this weekend, as the Nigeria Customs Service NCS discussed with AfCFTA the removal of existing bottlenecks, and encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) towards taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the agreement.
Not only was Particular emphasis placed on the role of Customs in these efforts, but so crucial and strategic was the initiative of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, that AfCFTA Secretary, Wamkele Mene described the Nigeria Customs gesture as a benchmark for Customs administrations across Africa.
The high-level meeting between the AfCFTA Scribe, Wamkele Mene and the CGC, Adewale Adeniyi which was held, on the margins of the Biashara Afrika 2024 forum, hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, from 9th to 11th October 2024, consequently provided a unique opportunity to refine strategies, aimed at improving trade facilitation under the AfCFTA agreement.
“These initiatives have positioned the NCS as a benchmark for Customs administrations across Africa,” Wamkele Mene remarked, noting the critical roles of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in boosting intra-African trade.
This Biashara Afrika 2024 was specially significant as it provided an engagement forum which brought together, key stakeholders to discuss ways to enhance intra-African trade and foster deeper economic integration.
During the meeting, the AfCFTA Secretary-General also praised the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its progressive initiatives, especially the pilot phase of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, the implementation of Advanced Rulings, and the conduct of Time Release studies.
In response, the Comptroller-General Adeniyi commended the Secretary-General for his unwavering commitment to advancing the AfCFTA’s goals, despite the resource constraints faced by the Secretariat.
He also acknowledged the critical support provided by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the legislative arm through the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
“The Act has been instrumental in providing the necessary legal framework for implementing initiatives that align with the government’s vision of making Nigeria the most efficient trading nation on the continent, fostering SME growth, and boosting exports to strengthen intra-African trade,” Adeniyi said.
The high point of the conversation was the recent achievement of Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, CEO of LE LOOK Nigeria Limited, who became the first woman to export goods under the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) of the AfCFTA to East, Central, and North African countries.
Her success, marked by the export of goods on 16th July 2024 from Apapa Port in Lagos, underscores the growing opportunities for Nigerian businesses in the continental market.
A key outcome of the meeting was the AfCFTA Secretariat’s commitment to develop a concept note outlining the way forward for the free trade area. In turn, the NCS pledged to bring these discussions to the Heads of Customs Administrations platform in Africa, ensuring a coordinated approach to addressing customs-related challenges across the continent.
The Biashara Afrika, now in its second edition, has established itself as a formidable platform for engagement between African public and private actors on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA.
Expatiating on this, the NCS image maker and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada noted that this year’s Forum focused on addressing the evolving challenges in the business environment and seeking innovative solutions to facilitate cross-border trade.
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2024-10-14