Customs, Afreximbank Deepen Partnership to Ease Cross-Border Trade

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have strengthened their partnership to improve cross-border trade, with plans to develop one-stop border posts and regional transit systems across Africa.

The collaboration is aimed at accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and making the movement of goods across the continent faster and more efficient.

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

The meeting reviewed the progress of existing collaborations between the two institutions and explored additional areas of cooperation to strengthen customs administration and promote regional economic integration.

Speaking during the meeting, Adeniyi said the partnership was anchored on a shared belief that Africa’s economic growth would be driven largely by increased trade among African countries.

“We are building a partnership between the two sides, a partnership founded on a single conviction: that Africa’s best trading partners are within Africa itself, and our prosperity will be built on the trade we conduct within ourselves,” he said.

The Customs boss noted that ongoing collaboration with Afreximbank had already produced positive results in customs modernisation and trade facilitation through initiatives designed to harmonise customs procedures across the continent.

He said the partnership would also support the bank’s regional transit programmes, fast-track the establishment of one-stop border posts along major trade corridors and encourage the adoption of global best practices in customs administration.

According to him, the Service has already begun to reap the benefits of Afreximbank’s support for regional transit systems and expects the collaboration to improve Africa’s competitiveness while creating more opportunities for legitimate trade.

On his part, Elombi commended the Nigeria Customs Service for taking the lead in promoting initiatives that would enhance trade across the continent.

“It is nice to see the CGC taking the initiative to drive this kind of engagement, which demonstrates a clear commitment to transforming trade across the continent. We have the resources, and you have the will. Together, we can make this partnership work for Africa,” he said.

He reaffirmed Afreximbank’s commitment to supporting programmes that facilitate trade and advance the implementation of the AfCFTA.

The meeting also reviewed the outcome of the maiden edition of the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), held in Abuja in November 2025.

The forum brought together customs administrations, development partners and private sector stakeholders to harmonise customs procedures, strengthen institutional capacity and improve connectivity among Africa’s trading systems.