Uche Cecil Izuora
The Nigeria Customs Service and the African Export-Import Bank are strengthening their cooperation aimed at smoothing cross‑border trade and accelerating the African Continental Free Trade Area. The pledge came during a July 3 visit to Abuja by Afreximbank President and Board Chairman Dr George Elombi, who met with Comptroller‑General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, at Customs headquarters to assess progress and identify new collaboration points.
Adeniyi said the relationship is rooted in a shared conviction that Africa’s strongest trading opportunities lie within the continent. He credited the partnership with delivering measurable gains in customs modernisation and trade facilitation, citing efforts to harmonise procedures and speed the movement of goods across regional corridors. “From C‑PACT to our ongoing work on trade facilitation, we are turning that conviction into practical cooperation,” he said.
The CGC said the expanded cooperation will back Afreximbank’s regional transit schemes, fast‑track development of one‑stop border posts on major trade routes, and promote adoption of international best practices in customs administration. He noted that early results from the Bank‑supported regional transit projects are already visible and expressed optimism that the closer alignment will boost Africa’s competitiveness and expand opportunities for legitimate trade.
Dr Elombi praised the Customs Service for proactive leadership and institutional commitment to transforming intra‑African trade. “It is nice to see the CGC taking the initiative to drive this kind of engagement. We have the resources, and you have the will. Together, we can make this partnership work for Africa,” he said, pledging Afreximbank’s readiness to scale support for initiatives that ease trade and reinforce AfCFTA implementation.
Both sides also reviewed outcomes from the inaugural Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C‑PACT), held in Abuja in November 2025. The event convened customs administrations, development partners and private‑sector stakeholders to harmonise customs processes, build institutional capacity and improve connectivity across Africa’s trading systems, steps Adeniyi and Elombi said will underpin broader efforts to deepen intra‑continental commerce.