The Zone ‘A’ Headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with sister agencies and key stakeholders to enhance trade facilitation and national security.
The Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Muhammed Babadede, gave the assurance on Friday in Lagos.
Babadede, while receiving delegations from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), said stronger institutional partnerships remained vital.
According to him, the partnership will improve border management, ensure transparency in trade processes and support economic growth.
Babadede assured both delegations of Customs’ continuous commitment to collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
He noted that such engagements underscore the dedication of Zone ‘A’ to building strategic alliances with relevant agencies and industry players to enhance efficient border management and trade facilitation in line with national objectives.
Earlier, the Assistant Commander-General of Narcotics in charge of Seaports Operations, Archie-Abia Ibinabo, who led the NDLEA delegation, commended the Customs leadership for the warm reception.
Ibinabo reaffirmed the agency’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the NCS in tackling narcotics trafficking and related financial crimes.
According to her, the NDLEA, as the federal agency responsible for enforcing drug laws and combating narcotics trafficking and money laundering, is committed to strengthening operational synergy with Customs to safeguard Nigeria’s borders.
In a related development, the Zonal Coordinator also received the President of NAGAFF, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, and members of his management team.
Ezisi commended the Customs leadership in Zone ‘A’ for the cordial reception and reiterated the association’s commitment to sustaining and strengthening its working relationship with the service.
He emphasised the critical role freight forwarders play in facilitating legitimate trade while ensuring compliance with extant regulations.
