The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has strengthened its partnership with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme as part of efforts to reinforce institutional integrity and align with global best practices in customs administration.
This followed a high-level meeting held at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 23, 2026, during a working visit by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who also serves as Chairperson of the WCO Council.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs.
According to the statement, the meeting provided an opportunity for the WCO A-CIP team to brief the Comptroller-General on the progress of its ongoing collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service.
Discussions focused on integrity capacity-building initiatives, the development of integrity-based standard operating procedures, and plans for an integrity risk assessment exercise scheduled for 2026.
The A-CIP team also outlined its priorities under Phase II of the programme for 2026 to 2030, with emphasis on embedding integrity safeguards within automated customs systems, trade facilitation frameworks and revenue administration processes.
The statement noted that the A-CIP team commended the NCS for its active participation in the WCO integrity survey and for approving the release of the survey results, describing the move as a strong demonstration of transparency and accountability.
It added that the positive survey outcomes reflected the impact of ongoing reforms within the Service, including structured valuation review mechanisms, strengthened post-clearance audit processes, and implementation of the Voluntary Disclosure Framework under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi expressed appreciation to the A-CIP team for what he described as the quality and relevance of its collaboration with the Service, while reaffirming the NCS’s commitment to sustaining and deepening the partnership.
Both parties, according to the statement, agreed that institutional integrity remains a critical pillar for building public trust and enhancing the credibility of customs administrations, particularly in an increasingly complex global trade environment.
As part of the next steps under the A-CIP Programme, both sides agreed to publish the WCO integrity survey results, establish and train a dedicated implementation working group, and integrate survey recommendations into the operational and business processes of the Nigeria Customs Service.
In a related development, the Comptroller-General also held a strategic meeting with the WCO Secretary-General, Ian Saunders, and other relevant secretariat officials, where both sides exchanged updates on the work of the Policy Commission and Council.
