The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has stressed that interoperable customs systems across Africa are critical to the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying the lack of harmonised technology remains one of the biggest obstacles to seamless intra-African trade.
Adeniyi stated this on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Lagos during the signing of a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Security to commence the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project. The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the Digital Trade Forum 2026.
According to the Customs boss, customs administrations across the continent currently operate at different levels of technological development, making interoperability essential for effective trade facilitation under the AfCFTA framework.
“We are indeed delighted because one of the major obstacles that we have faced in this journey of implementation of AfCFTA is the interoperability of our systems. All the Customs administrations cannot operate at the same level, but when we have interoperability, it becomes easier for us all to hook up to one system and get trade facilitation done,” Adeniyi said.
He also hailed the selection of Bergmans Security to lead the initiative, describing it as a major milestone for Nigeria’s customs modernisation efforts and a recognition of the country’s advances in digital customs administration.
“We are delighted that it is a Nigerian company that has been given this platform to extend what they have been doing to the rest of Africa and for us to achieve trade facilitation and the implementation of the AfCFTA,” he added.
Speaking at the event, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, said the continental body adopted Nigeria’s customs modernisation model after witnessing the country’s success in deploying digital technologies that have improved revenue generation and operational efficiency.
According to Mene, the partnership with Bergmans Security is expected to drive the establishment of a continent-wide interoperable customs system that will facilitate trade and expand market access for businesses across Africa.
“Today, as we speak, Nigeria is benefiting from the deployment of these technologies. From our point of view, the continent has a lot to gain from the model that was introduced here in Nigeria. That’s why we signed the MOU today. We believe that the partnership with Bergmans Security will enable us to achieve our objective of creating a continental, modern, interoperable Customs system that will ensure that all our economic operators benefit from an expanded market,” he said.
The AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project is expected to deepen customs cooperation among member states through harmonised digital platforms, improve trade facilitation, enhance revenue collection, and accelerate the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area by creating a more efficient and integrated continental trading system.
