AfCFTA: Customs Moves to Harmonise Systems, Deepen Intelligence-Based Enforcement
Oru Leonard
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it is strengthening its enforcement and trade facilitation systems to position the country for increased intra-African commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this during an interaction with executives of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON).
Aliyu said the expected growth in cross-border trade under AfCFTA made it imperative for Customs administrations across Africa to improve technology deployment, intelligence sharing and harmonisation of operational systems.
He explained that the NCS was gradually moving away from conventional enforcement approaches to a more sophisticated model based on intelligence, risk assessment, technology and strategic partnerships.
According to him, intelligence-led enforcement would enable the Service to identify and intercept high-risk consignments while ensuring that legitimate cargoes are cleared with minimal delays.
The Comptroller stressed that enforcement must go hand-in-hand with trade facilitation, noting that cargo throughput and turnaround time were important indicators of an efficient Customs administration.
He said the deployment of modern risk-management systems would help Customs strike the right balance between securing the nation’s borders, protecting government revenue and facilitating legitimate trade.
Aliyu cautioned that continued dependence on analogue processes could undermine efficiency and leave Nigeria behind global Customs best practices.
On AfCFTA, he said Nigeria must actively participate in efforts to create a seamless Customs architecture across Africa as countries deepen economic integration.
He advocated stronger collaboration among African Customs administrations, including the development of compatible systems and improved information exchange to ease legitimate cross-border trade.
The Comptroller cited engagements by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, with Customs administrations in East Africa and other parts of the continent as part of efforts to learn from existing systems and strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for AfCFTA.
He said the engagements would enhance Nigeria’s capacity to contribute to the development of an effective Customs and trade facilitation framework for expanding intra-African commerce.
Aliyu also underscored the importance of collaboration with stakeholders, saying the NCS was increasingly embracing strategic partnerships beyond conventional inter-agency cooperation.
He described the engagement with AMJON as part of efforts to strengthen communication between Customs and stakeholders in the maritime and trade sectors.
He assured that the Service would continue to deploy innovation, intelligence and technology to build a modern Customs administration capable of supporting Nigeria’s economic growth while safeguarding the nation’s borders and revenue.
(The Niche)
