The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says Africa is not doing badly in trade services within the region.
NCS’s Comptroller-General (C-G), Bashir Adeniyi, stated this at a dinner organised for the participants of the Customs–Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) conference on Monday in Abuja.
The C-PACT is an initiative of the NCS in collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), aimed at repositioning African trade.
C-PACT, supported by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), also aims to set new standards for cross-border cooperation and trade facilitation by establishing a transparent and agile customs framework that promotes lawful trade and sustainable economic growth.
The C-PACT conference themed ‘Breaking Barriers , Building Bridges’, was officially declared open by President Bola Tinubu earlier, will end on Wednesday.
Adeniyi said that financial services within Africa were improving, especially with the introduction of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) by Afreximbank to help ease cross-border currency flows.
“Earlier today, we learned about the fact that our financial services are crossing borders. The entertainment industry is crossing borders.
“What we now need to do is to ensure that our goods, that we manufacture within our regions; that we trade with, can also cross-border with the same ease that we see in the entertainment tonight,” he said.
The Customs C-G, earlier in his remarks at the opening of the conference, called for cross-country trade facilitation, integration, and active engagement of customs administrations in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
Adeniyi, also the President of WCO, expressed confidence that the conference would provide a platform for valuable dialogue and mutual understanding between customs administrations and private-sector stakeholders, fostering cooperation and advancing practical outcomes for continental trade integration.
In her closing remarks, Caroline Niagwan, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Tariff and Trade, described the dinner as a meaningful moment of connection that captured their determination to build bridges and break barriers in trade facilitation.
“We have come together not just as institutions, but as people committed to improving trade, strengthening cooperation, and ensuring that borders become gateways of opportunity rather than obstacles,” she said.
Niagwan stated that dining together creates a relaxed atmosphere for sharing experiences, building trust, and understanding differences, which makes collaboration natural to improve trade.
