The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, has urged African nations to break long-standing institutional silos and build fully interconnected trade systems if the continent intends to realise the promises of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Declaring open the maiden Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) in Abuja on Monday, Adeniyi said fragmented procedures and isolated reforms undermine progress, insisting that trade finance, customs operations, payment platforms, and regulatory frameworks must interface seamlessly.
“We can no longer operate in isolation. Only an integrated approach will turn continental policy ambitions into day-to-day operational results,” he said.
He added that customs administrations hold the real-time data needed to steer AfCFTA implementation and must become active architects — not bystanders — in Africa’s integration agenda.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene commended Adeniyi’s leadership, noting that the Abuja forum reflects the original vision of the 1991 Abuja Treaty that birthed continental integration efforts.
Mene said customs authorities will determine whether AfCFTA works in practice, as they are responsible for enforcing rules of origin, transit procedures, and trade facilitation.
Afreximbank’s Executive Vice President, Kanayo Awani, warned that Africa’s trade aspirations will falter unless countries address the inefficiencies and inconsistent border processes that delay the movement of goods.
She noted that most trade delays on the continent stem from customs and procedural bottlenecks rather than infrastructure gaps. Awani outlined ongoing solutions — including one-stop border posts, regional transit systems, and Afreximbank’s $1 billion transit guarantee scheme — which aim to cut clearance times, reduce logistics costs, and support smoother cross-border flows.
