Biashara Afrika 2024: AfCFTA commends Customs CG for progressive initiatives
By Kunle Sanni
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has praised the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, for his forward-thinking initiatives, describing them as crucial to enhancing trade facilitation and customs efficiency across Africa.
The commendation was made during a high-level meeting between the Comptroller-General and the AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, held on the sidelines of the Biashara Afrika 2024 forum, which took place from October 9 to 11 in Kigali, Rwanda.
The AfCFTA Secretary-General highlighted the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) innovative measures, particularly the pilot phase of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program. This initiative is designed to streamline trade procedures and reduce clearance times for compliant traders.
This was disclosed in a statement by Abdullahi Maiwada, National Public Relations Officer for the Comptroller-General of Customs.
Other initiatives that were applauded include the implementation of Advanced Rulings and Time Release Studies, which have positioned the NCS as a model for customs administrations across the continent.
Mene emphasized that these initiatives are key to achieving the objectives of the AfCFTA, as they help eliminate trade barriers and promote the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are critical to boosting intra-African trade.
The meeting also underscored the importance of continued collaboration between customs administrations and the AfCFTA Secretariat to address existing trade bottlenecks and deepen economic integration across Africa.
In response, Comptroller-General Adeniyi acknowledged the support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which provides a robust legal framework for implementing trade facilitation measures.
He reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to advancing the goals of the AfCFTA and pledged to further promote these discussions at the Heads of Customs Administrations platform to ensure a unified approach to addressing customs-related challenges across the continent.
The Biashara Afrika 2024 forum, now in its second edition, continues to serve as a vital platform for public and private sector stakeholders to collaborate on overcoming challenges and unlocking the potential of the African market under the AfCFTA.
