NCS Convenes 2 Conferences To Advance African Trade, Strengthen Border Security

By Samuel Egbewole

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will convene two major conferences in Abuja in December to strengthen border security, modernise customs operations and advance trade integration across Africa.

The Service’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, describing the conferences as part of the NCS’s efforts to improve customs administration and facilitate legitimate trade.

According to Maiwada, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference will hold from December 7 to 8, while the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Conference is scheduled for December 9 to 11.

He explained that the CGC Conference, themed ‘Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities’, would provide an opportunity to review the Service’s modernisation efforts, assess progress on previous commitments and reinforce the relationship between effective customs administration, national security and trade facilitation.

“The CGC Conference will provide a platform to review the service’s modernisation efforts.”

“It will assess progress against previous commitments and reinforce the relationship between effective Customs administration, national security, and trade facilitation,” he said.

Maiwada said the conference would bring together relevant stakeholders and institutional partners to assess progress in customs modernisation and the implementation of trade facilitation reforms.

He added that participants would review commitments made in 2025 against results achieved in 2026, while presentations would highlight developments in customs modernisation.

The programme would also feature the presentation of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificates and discussions on how to measure the impact of reforms on trade and revenue generation.

According to the spokesperson, deliberations would cover intelligence-led enforcement, emerging border threats, inter-agency collaboration and the professional responsibilities of customs officers in protecting communities and maintaining public trust.

He noted that digital transformation and stronger stakeholder partnerships would also feature prominently, particularly in discussions on improving customs operations and strengthening accountability.

The CGC Conference would further provide a platform to evaluate reform outcomes, identify areas requiring improvement and deepen cooperation among security and enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, the C-PACT Conference would focus on coordinated border management and digital connectivity as strategies for improving trade across Africa.

Maiwada said the conference, themed ‘One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts’, would bring together stakeholders and relevant agencies to strengthen cooperation and promote trade across the continent.

He explained that discussions would address persistent barriers to cross-border trade, including fragmented procedures, duplicated controls, limited information exchange and incompatible digital systems.

He added that inadequate coordination among border agencies remained another challenge that required practical and sustainable solutions.

To address these challenges, the conference would explore the use of One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), interconnected customs platforms, coordinated risk management and harmonised procedures to reduce delays and lower the cost of cross-border trade.

He noted that secure information exchange would also improve the predictability of goods movement along African trade corridors.

The spokesperson said participants would examine the implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiatives, including the Integrated Transit System, Single Bond Guarantee Scheme and Electronic Certificate of Origin system.

He added that the discussions were expected to generate practical recommendations, identify priority areas for technological development and investment, and strengthen institutional partnerships.

The conference would also seek to develop an implementation-oriented roadmap for establishing interconnected, digitally enabled border systems across Africa.

Maiwada reaffirmed the commitment of the Comptroller-General of Customs and his management team to working with national institutions, regional partners and international stakeholders to advance the objectives of both conferences.

He said the broader goal was to secure borders, facilitate legitimate trade and support Africa’s economic integration.

“Through the CGC Conference and C-PACT 2026, the service seeks to reinforce accountability for ongoing reforms while advancing practical solutions that connect border security with trade facilitation, technological innovation and safer communities,” he said.