The Nigerian Customs will host a high-level conference next week, Customs-Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) uniting customs leaders from 30 African countries as the nation pushes to establish itself as a key trade hub on the continent.
C-PACT reflects a Nigeria-led push to anchor AfCFTA in everyday business reality, with the strong backing of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Afreximbank, and the World Customs Organization—which Adeniyi currently chairs.
Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, who disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the gathering comes with huge potential for unlocking new economic opportunities for Nigeria under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Adeniyi said the conference which is an idea of the country, is part of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to placing trade at the centre of economic recovery, poverty reduction, and industrial growth.
The high-level event is expected to draw heads of customs from more than 30 African countries, senior government officials, investors, logistics operators, airlines, shipping firms, port administrators, and manufacturers.
“We already have confirmed registration from about 30 African customs administrations. Out of these 30, 22 of them are at the Director General’s level, others are represented,” Adewale said.
He explained that the conference will focus on removing long-standing bottlenecks to cross-border trade and advancing Africa’s integration agenda.
The Custom boss said, the opening day will be led by the private sector, breaking from the usual tradition and allowing businesses to speak directly to policymakers and customs leaders about the real challenges they face in intra-African trade.
“Governments don’t trade; customs doesn’t trade. It is economic operators who move goods,” Adeniyi said.
“Their voices must shape the reforms, whether on non-tariff barriers, procedural delays, port inefficiencies, or uneven application of AfCFTA preferences.”
He noted that intra-African trade remains one of Nigeria’s most underutilised engines of growth. Despite a more than 30 per cent rise in export volumes over the past two years, most of the increase is directed outside the continent.
Redirecting exports into Africa’s $3.4 trillion market, he said, will open new value chains, expand market access for small businesses, reduce logistics costs, simplify currency settlement, and boost job creation.
Highlighting success stories, Adeniyi pointed to SMEs enrolled in the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, some of which now export leather goods, handicrafts, processed foods, and hibiscus flowers to Southern Africa.
“These companies are proving that our SMEs can compete,” he said. “Many of the export gains you see today are driven by these small players tapping into African markets.”
He also linked Nigeria’s AfCFTA preparedness to the Tinubu administration’s broader reforms, port decongestion, customs modernisation, expanded port infrastructure, and the rollout of a national single window, describing these as crucial to Nigeria’s competitiveness under the continental agreement.
Adeniyi noted that Nigeria’s hosting of the next Intra-African Trade Fair, along with Tinubu’s recognition as Champion of Intra-African Trade in Services, has further positioned the country to lead Africa’s evolving trade landscape.
While acknowledging concerns over potential revenue losses from tariff liberalisation, he insisted that the long-term economic gains far outweigh short-term pressures.
“You cannot eat your cake and have it. Yes, we collect revenue, but trade brings far greater prosperity,” he said.
Adeniyi further outlined the outcomes Nigeria aims to drive to include: a unified customs position on AfCFTA implementation, clear solutions to non-tariff barriers affecting the free movement of goods, single platform for customs administrations, financiers, policymakers, and economic operators to harmonise expectations, partnerships with Afreximbank, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and private-sector institutions, and practical trade facilitation reforms, not just commitments on paper.
He stressed that even advanced African economies like South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria face similar integration challenges, making collaboration essential.
Adeniyi said the engagement goes beyond his KPIs as Comptroller-General; it is part of a national effort to reposition Nigeria’s trade environment.
“This conference is about Nigeria signalling its readiness for Africa,” he said. “With your support, Nigerians will better appreciate the enormous opportunities that AfCFTA holds for our economic renewal.”
