The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to driving deeper continental trade integration as the country host the maiden Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Conference from 17–19 November 2025 in Abuja.
Addressing State House correspondents under the “Meet the Press” platform on Friday, 14 November 2025, the Customs Chief said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent approval of an extension of his mandate came with clear performance benchmarks focused on trade facilitation, port decongestion and the modernisation of Nigeria’s cross-border processes.
Adeniyi noted that the President’s directives reflected a strategic shift that placed trade at the heart of national economic expansion. He said the administration is determined to position Nigeria as the central hub for intra-African commerce.
“Mr President has made it very clear that he intends to use trade to promote economic development and alleviate poverty. So, I was not surprised that the implementation of the continental free trade agreement was specifically mentioned in my renewed mandate,” he said.
The CGC explained that in line with this directive, he has intensified engagements with counterparts across Africa, including a recent strategic meeting in Ghana with the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He insisted that Customs administrations must be central players in the implementation of the free trade regime if Africa is to overcome past challenges.
“For many years, regional trade arrangements struggled because Customs was not brought in early enough. If we must achieve the objectives of AfCFTA, Customs must play its role in enforcing rules of origin, applying preferences, and ensuring that goods genuinely enjoy the benefits of the agreement,” he added.
Adeniyi said the upcoming C-PACT Summit mark a significant step toward closing long-standing gaps by creating a dedicated platform for Customs administrations, policymakers and private-sector operators across Africa to engage directly on the barriers impeding the free movement of goods.
He disclosed that more than 30 Customs administrations have registered for the conference, with 22 of them led by Directors-General, described the surge in private-sector participation as a strong indicator of Africa’s renewed commitment to integration. He also announced that Nigeria will host the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Ian Sanders, for the first time an acknowledgment of Nigeria’s growing influence in continental trade diplomacy.
Speaking on Nigeria’s export trajectory, the CGC highlighted a more than 30 percent increase in export volumes over the past two years. He noted, however, that the next phase required redirecting a larger share of Nigerian exports toward African markets.
Adeniyi acknowledged the strong inter-agency alignment involving the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, AFREXIMBANK, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, port authorities and other regulatory bodies. According to him, their synergy has created a “historic window” for Nigeria to assume a commanding role in Africa’s economic transformation.
He appealed to the State House Press Corps to intensify public awareness ahead of the Abuja summit, noted that the opening day will feature direct engagements with private-sector operators from across the continent to identify and address persistent obstacles to free movement of goods.
The conference is expected to set a new benchmark for Customs-led trade cooperation across Africa.
