Economic experts have stressed that modernising and digitising customs systems is critical to unlocking the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying it would reduce border delays, cut trade costs and accelerate intra-African commerce.
Speaking on Sunday in Abuja, the experts said AfCFTA’s success depends largely on harmonised and technology-driven customs processes across the continent’s 54 participating countries.
Director-general of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Agabaidu Jideani, said the initiative would enable goods to move across African borders faster, at lower cost and with fewer bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He explained that replacing fragmented, paper-based customs procedures with interconnected digital systems, harmonised documentation and risk-based inspections would improve transparency, speed up cargo clearance and enhance trade efficiency.
According to him, customs modernisation would particularly benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by simplifying export procedures, reducing compliance costs and expanding access to African markets.
Jideani urged governments to complement the reforms with capacity building, digital literacy programmes, affordable financing and simplified trade processes to enable SMEs take full advantage of AfCFTA.
He added that large importers and exporters would benefit from faster cargo clearance, more predictable supply chains and lower logistics costs, allowing businesses to better manage inventories, minimise border delays and expand regional value chains.
“Effective customs reforms will strengthen Africa’s competitiveness and attract greater investment in manufacturing, logistics and industrial development. Customs modernisation is not merely a technological upgrade but a strategic economic reform,” he said.
Jideani also called for sustained collaboration among governments, customs authorities, development partners and the private sector to ensure inclusive implementation of AfCFTA.
President of the Organisation of Youth in International Trade and Commerce (OY-ITC), Dr Chinedu Amadi, described AfCFTA as Africa’s most ambitious economic integration project, aimed at creating a single market for goods and services while promoting investment and free movement across the continent.
He said Nigeria stood to benefit significantly through increased non-oil exports, job creation, economic diversification and stronger regional influence, provided customs reforms were fully implemented.
“The success of AfCFTA depends largely on customs modernisation through faster, transparent and efficient border processes driven by digital technology,” Amadi said.
He noted that manual customs procedures, excessive paperwork and prolonged border delays continued to undermine Nigeria’s trade competitiveness despite its vast export potential.
Amadi said AfCFTA’s customs framework seeks to harmonise electronic declarations, digital certificates of origin, online payments and risk-based cargo inspections, measures that would reduce corruption, improve revenue collection and facilitate legitimate trade.
While commending the Federal Government’s digital customs initiatives, he urged authorities to accelerate implementation of the National Single Window project, improve border infrastructure and strengthen collaboration among border agencies.
He said simplified customs procedures would help SMEs overcome documentation and logistics barriers, enabling farmers, manufacturers, food processors, pharmaceutical companies and technology firms to access wider African markets.
According to him, increased regional trade would stimulate production, create jobs, boost foreign exchange earnings and ease pressure on the naira, while large manufacturers would benefit from lower tariffs, more predictable customs procedures and stronger continental supply chains.
Amadi also urged Nigerian businesses to improve product quality, branding, packaging, certification and productivity to remain competitive under AfCFTA, while calling for greater investment in transport infrastructure, industrial parks, export processing zones, power supply, trade finance and export promotion.
“AfCFTA provides the platform, while customs modernisation serves as the gateway,” he said, urging Nigeria to strengthen manufacturing and expand non-oil exports.
President of the Society for Promotion of People’s Right, Williams Osaze, said customs modernisation under AfCFTA would connect customs platforms across Africa, allowing declarations filed in one country to be recognised and processed in another, thereby eliminating duplicate paperwork and improving trade efficiency.
Economic consultant, Prof. Emmanuel Adeniyi, said AfCFTA’s Simplified Trade Regime (STR) would make cross-border trade easier for micro, small and medium enterprises by reducing documentation requirements, simplifying clearance procedures and identifying products eligible for streamlined trade.
He added that the reforms also include financial integration through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which enables businesses to settle cross-border transactions in local currencies, reducing costs and simplifying payments across Africa.
