The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and in discussions at creating one stop border posts to strengthen trade facilitation and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This was the outcome of a working visit by Afreximbank’s President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the visit, the CGC noted that the collaboration has already delivered measurable progress in customs modernisation, particularly in harmonising procedures and easing the movement of goods across borders.
“We are building a partnership between the two sides, a partnership founded on a single conviction: that Africa’s best trading partners are within Africa itself, and our prosperity will be built on the trade we conduct within ourselves. From C-PACT to our ongoing work on trade facilitation, we are turning that conviction into practical cooperation,” Adeniyi said.
He added that “the partnership would support Afreximbank’s regional transit initiatives, speed up the development of one-stop border posts along major trade corridors, and promote global best practices in customs administration.”
In his remarks, Elombi commended the NCS for its proactive leadership, describing it as evidence of strong institutional commitment to transforming trade across the continent.
“It is nice to see the CGC taking the initiative to drive this kind of engagement, which demonstrates a clear commitment to transforming trade across the continent.
“We have the resources, and you have the will. Together, we can make this partnership work for Africa,” he said, reaffirming the Bank’s readiness to scale up support for AfCFTA implementation and trade facilitation initiatives.”
