The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Indian Customs Administration have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening strategic cooperation during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the 92nd Session of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Policy Commission in Brussels.
Led by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Nigerian delegation met with Mr. Surjit Bhujbal, a senior official of India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), to review the implementation of the Customs Mutual Administrative Agreement (CMAA) signed by both countries on November 16, 2024.
Discussions focused on key customs issues including valuation, transfer pricing, and integration between customs and tax systems. Both nations also addressed shared concerns over the global trade in substandard pharmaceutical products, citing recent joint enforcement successes in Nigeria made possible through improved intelligence sharing.
CGC Adeniyi described the meeting as “a continuation of the strong foundations laid last year,” noting that Nigeria is committed to leveraging the CMAA for broader cooperation, including joint technical missions, training programmes, and data exchange to enhance risk management and revenue assurance.
“This partnership reflects our vision of a smarter, collaborative, and globally connected customs administration,” he stated.
Mr. Bhujbal, on his part, emphasized India’s recognition of Nigeria as a key partner in Africa and expressed interest in further collaboration on valuation reforms and systems integration to combat revenue leakages.
Signed during the Indian Prime Minister’s 2024 state visit to Nigeria, the CMAA serves as a formal framework for mutual administrative assistance, information exchange, and capacity building between the two customs administrations.
Nigeria’s participation at the high-level WCO Policy Commission highlighted its ongoing commitment to global customs modernisation and trade facilitation.
