The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation aimed at promoting seamless cross-border trade and accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose single market spans 1.4 billion people and a combined economy valued at $3.4 trillion.

The renewed commitment was sealed during a working visit by the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

The meeting reviewed ongoing areas of collaboration between both institutions and explored additional measures to improve trade facilitation, strengthen customs cooperation, remove barriers to cross-border trade and deepen regional economic integration.

Welcoming the Afreximbank delegation, Adeniyi described the partnership as one anchored on a shared vision of unlocking Africa’s economic potential through increased intra-continental trade, noting that the Service was already benefiting from the bank’s support for regional transit systems. He expressed confidence that the collaboration would further enhance Africa’s trade competitiveness and expand opportunities for legitimate commerce across borders.

Speaking during the visit, Dr Elombi commended the Customs Service for its proactive leadership and commitment to advancing trade across Africa, describing the Service’s efforts as demonstrating strong institutional commitment to transforming continental trade. He reaffirmed the bank’s readiness to expand support for initiatives that facilitate cross-border trade and strengthen AfCFTA implementation, noting that it was encouraging to see the Comptroller-General taking the initiative to drive such engagement.

The meeting also reviewed outcomes from the maiden edition of the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), held in Abuja in November 2025, which brought together customs administrations, development partners and private sector stakeholders to harmonise procedures, build institutional capacity and improve connectivity across Africa’s trading systems, part of a broader push toward establishing one-stop border posts to ease the movement of goods across the continent.

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