The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has rounded off its inaugural Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Summit, a three-day continental engagement held in Abuja to strengthen collaboration among African Customs administrations and accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The summit, which ended on 19 November 2025 at the Transcorp Hilton, brought together Customs chiefs, trade experts, development partners and key private-sector stakeholders.
Declaring the summit closed, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the deliberations over the three days offered “a credible platform to move from fragmented efforts to collective solutions.”
He noted that the resolutions would guide African Customs agencies in improving compliance systems, enhancing border procedures, and addressing persistent non-tariff barriers that hinder the smooth flow of goods across borders. Adeniyi added that the C-PACT initiative—pioneered by Nigeria—would now operate as an enduring mechanism for regular engagement, knowledge sharing and process harmonisation in support of AfCFTA.
The summit also reflected the earlier charge by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the opening ceremony. He urged African nations to dismantle structural impediments to trade and adopt unified frameworks that promote competitiveness, industrial expansion and stable cross-border commerce.
Similar sentiments were echoed by the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Ian Saunders, who underscored the central role of Customs agencies in enforcing standards and shaping the practical realities of AfCFTA implementation.
Senior representatives from Afreximbank, including the Executive Vice President, Kanayo Awani, reinforced the call for modern, interoperable and technology-driven Customs systems, insisting that the economic promises of AfCFTA cannot materialise without digitally enabled border processes.
Throughout the sessions, delegates shared insights on rules of origin, transit regimes, digital documentation, gender inclusion, risk management and coordinated border management—areas considered critical to continental trade facilitation.
Private-sector participants, ranging from manufacturers to freight operators and logistics service providers, contributed extensively to the discussions. They highlighted persistent challenges such as delays, inconsistent procedures and documentation bottlenecks that continue to discourage intra-African trade.
The National President of the Association of Licensed Customs Agents, Emenike Kingsley, described the summit as a rare opportunity for Customs managers and economic operators to jointly assess operational constraints and co-create solutions.
At the end of the summit, participating administrations endorsed the continuation of C-PACT as a standing technical body to monitor progress, align national systems with new continental standards, and steer Africa toward a more integrated, efficient and competitive trading environment.
