NCS, Afreximbank Deepen Partnership To Accelerate AfCFTA, Intra-African Trade

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have strengthened their partnership to accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), improve customs cooperation and boost intra-African trade.
The renewed collaboration was reaffirmed during a visit by Afreximbank president and chairman of its Board of Directors, Dr. George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, the meeting reviewed ongoing collaboration between both institutions and explored new areas of cooperation aimed at facilitating seamless cross-border trade and deepening regional economic integration.
Speaking during the meeting, Adeniyi described the relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and Afreximbank as a strategic partnership anchored on a common vision of unlocking Africa’s economic potential through stronger trade among African countries.
The Customs boss said the renewed collaboration would strengthen Afreximbank’s regional transit initiatives, accelerate the development of one-stop border posts along key trade corridors and promote the adoption of international best practices in customs administration.
He added that the Service was already recording tangible benefits from the bank’s support for regional transit systems and expressed confidence that the partnership would further improve Africa’s competitiveness and facilitate legitimate trade across the continent.
On his part, Elombi reaffirmed Afreximbank’s commitment to expanding support for initiatives that promote trade facilitation and strengthen implementation of the AfCFTA.
He described the Nigeria Customs Service as demonstrating strong institutional commitment to transforming trade across Africa through practical reforms and enhanced customs cooperation.
The meeting also reviewed the successful maiden edition of the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), held in Abuja in 2025.
The conference brought together customs administrations, development partners and private sector stakeholders from across Africa to harmonise customs procedures, strengthen institutional capacity and improve connectivity across the continent’s trading systems.
The renewed partnership comes as African countries intensify efforts to dismantle trade barriers and maximise opportunities under the AfCFTA by improving border efficiency, customs modernisation and regional trade integration.