NCS AND AFREXIMBANK STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION TO ACCELERATE AFCFTA IMPLEMENTATION

NCS AND AFREXIMBANK STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION TO ACCELERATE AFCFTA IMPLEMENTATION
By prince Benson Davies
The Nigeria Customs Service and the African Export-Import Bank have agreed to expand their joint efforts to ease trade across Africa and support the full rollout of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Both institutions said the focus will be on improving border processes, connecting transit corridors, and aligning customs operations across member states.

The agreement was reinforced on Thursday, 3 July 2026, during a working visit by the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja. The meeting was used to assess progress made so far and to map out new areas for cooperation.

Receiving the delegation, Adeniyi said the partnership is anchored on the belief that African countries stand to gain more by trading among themselves. He noted that the collaboration has already produced results in the area of customs modernisation and in making the movement of goods faster and less costly. According to him, harmonising procedures and reducing bottlenecks remain central to achieving the objectives of AfCFTA.

He explained that the renewed engagement will back Afreximbank’s work on regional transit arrangements and speed up the establishment of one-stop border posts along major trade routes. He added that adopting international standards in customs administration will also be prioritised. The CGC stated that early results from the Bank’s support for transit systems have been encouraging and expressed optimism that deeper cooperation will improve Africa’s trade competitiveness.

Adeniyi said, “We are building this partnership on one clear understanding, that Africa’s growth will come from trade within Africa. Through initiatives like C-PACT and our ongoing work on facilitation, we are turning that idea into real programmes.”

In his remarks, Dr Elombi applauded the leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service for driving reforms that support continental trade. He said Afreximbank has both the financial capacity and technical expertise to support projects that remove trade barriers, and that the Service has shown the political will needed to deliver results. He assured that the Bank will increase its support for initiatives that advance AfCFTA implementation.

“It is encouraging to see this level of commitment from the CGC. We have the resources and you have the drive. Together we can make this partnership deliver real impact for Africa,” Elombi said.

Both parties also reviewed the outcome of the first Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade, C-PACT, which was hosted in Abuja in November 2025. The forum brought together customs agencies, development partners, and private sector players to discuss ways of aligning procedures, building institutional capacity, and improving connectivity across African trade networks.

The NCS and Afreximbank said they will continue to work together to reduce clearance times, strengthen regional transit, and create a more integrated trading environment that benefits businesses across the continent