The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Mr Bashir Adewale Adewale Adeniyi said Friday that the Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) conference scheduled to hold in Abuja on Monday, November 17, 2025, will serve as a major catalyst for Nigeria’s economic recovery and expand export opportunities for small businesses under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Addressing State House corresponts in Abuja, Adeniyi said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strong support for the conference reflects the administration’s resolve to place trade at the cente of national development.
He said the conference is expected to attract more than 30 African customs administrations, with 22 represented at Director-General level, alongside senior government officials, investors, manufacturers, airlines, shipping companies, port operators and logistics firms.
He said the conference will focus on dismantling long-standing barriers to cross-border trade and driving deeper continental integration.
“This conference is about Nigeria signalling its readiness for Africa. With your support, Nigerians will better appreciate the enormous opportunities that AfCFTA holds for our economic renewal”, he said.
He said the engagement marks a strategic departure from old traditions, saying that the private sector will lead the opening day, allowing businesses to speak directly to customs leaders and policymakers about the operational realities of intra-African trade.
“Governments don’t trade; customs doesn’t trade. It is economic operators who move goods. Their voices must shape the reforms, whether on non-tariff barriers, procedural delays, port inefficiencies or uneven application of AfCFTA preferences,” he said.
He said that intra-African trade remains one of Nigeria’s most underutilised growth engines, pointing out that although the country has recorded more than 30 per cent growth in export volumes in the last two years, the bulk of the increase is directed outside the continent.
He said redirecting exports to Africa’s $3.4 trillion market would unlock new value chains, reduce logistics costs, ease currency settlement and create jobs.
Highlighting positive examples, Adeniyi said SMEs in the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme are already exporting leather goods, handicrafts, processed foods and hibiscus flowers to Southern Africa, proving Nigeria’s capacity to compete on the continent.
Adeniyi linked Nigeria’s growing preparedness for AfCFTA to the Tinubu administration’s reforms, including customs modernisation, port decongestion, improved port infrastructure and the rollout of a national single window.
He said Nigeria’s hosting of the Intra-African Trade Fair, and President Tinubu’s recognition as Champion of Intra-African Trade in Services, have further strengthened the country’s leadership position.
Responding to concerns on the impact of tariff liberalisation on revenue, Adeniyi said that long-term economic gains far outweigh short-term pressures.
“Yes, we collect revenue, but trade brings far greater prosperity. You cannot eat your cake and have it,” he said.
He listed key outcomes Nigeria aims to drive at the conference including a unified customs position on AfCFTA implementation, solutions to non-tariff barriers, a single platform for customs, financiers and economic operators, stronger partnerships with Afreximbank and the AfCFTA Secretariat, and practical and action-oriented reforms.
Adeniyi also disclosed that AfCFTA implementation is one of the specific KPIs tied to the extension of tenure by President Tinubu.
He said that implementing the agreement requires capacity building and strong political will, as countries must gradually suspend customs duties on intra-African trade until they reach zero.
He said this informed the creation of the Concept of Partnerships for African Cooperation (CIPAC), which has rallied national actors including the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEXIM Bank, commercial banks and the Nigerian Ports Authority behind Customs’ leadership role.
Acknowledging the implementation difficulties faced by regional blocs in the past, Adeniyi said the challenges are not unique to Nigeria and reflect broader continental realities.
He saus that duty-free access to African-produced goods would reduce production costs and expand markets and spur investment.
He also highlighted Customs’ improved performance, reporting more than 70 per cent revenue growth in 2023 and 101 per cent in 2024, with this year’s figures expected to surpass the previous records.
He said that the Nigeria Customs Service remains committed to revenue generation, national security and trade facilitation.
