Customs Deepens Afreximbank Collaboration to Drive AfCFTA Implementation

The renewed commitment was made during a working visit by Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

The meeting provided an opportunity for both organisations to assess the progress of their collaboration and identify additional areas of cooperation aimed at promoting seamless cross-border trade, harmonising customs procedures and strengthening regional economic integration.

Speaking during the meeting, Adeniyi said the partnership was founded on a shared vision that Africa's economic prosperity would be driven by increased trade among African nations.

According to him, the collaboration has already produced tangible results in customs modernisation and trade facilitation through initiatives designed to improve the movement of goods across the continent.

"We are building a partnership founded on a single conviction that Africa's best trading partners are within Africa itself, and our prosperity will be built on the trade we conduct within ourselves. From C-PACT to our ongoing work on trade facilitation, we are turning that conviction into practical cooperation," he said.

The Customs boss disclosed that the partnership would further support Afreximbank's regional transit initiatives, fast-track the establishment of one-stop border posts along strategic trade corridors and encourage the adoption of international best practices in customs administration.

He added that the Nigeria Customs Service was already recording positive outcomes from the bank's support for regional transit systems and expressed confidence that closer collaboration would enhance Africa's competitiveness while expanding opportunities for legitimate trade.

On his part, Elombi commended the Nigeria Customs Service for demonstrating strong leadership in advancing regional trade integration, describing the Service's proactive engagement as a reflection of its commitment to transforming trade across Africa.

"It is nice to see the CGC taking the initiative to drive this kind of engagement, which demonstrates a clear commitment to transforming trade across the continent. We have the resources, and you have the will. Together, we can make this partnership work for Africa," he said.

He also reaffirmed Afreximbank's readiness to deepen its support for programmes that facilitate trade and strengthen the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The meeting also reviewed the successful maiden edition of the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), held in Abuja in November 2025, which brought together customs administrations, development partners and private sector stakeholders to harmonise customs procedures, strengthen institutional capacity and improve connectivity across Africa's trading systems.

The renewed partnership is expected to further ease cross-border trade, reduce logistical bottlenecks and support the realisation of the AfCFTA's objective of creating a single continental market for goods and services across Africa.