CGC Adeniyi Meets AfCFTA Secretary General at Biashara Africa 2024
… Pledges to Enhance Intra-African Trade
By Muhammad Bashir
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, engaged in a high-level meeting with the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, on the sidelines of the Biashara Afrika 2024 forum.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 13 October 2024, by the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, the meeting was described as a critical engagement between two major stakeholders.
The event, which held from 9 to 11 October in Kigali, Rwanda, provided a significant platform for discussing initiatives aimed at strengthening intra-African trade, and focused primarily on how to explore strategies that would deepen economic integration and boost trade across African countries.
According to the statement, the discussions between CGC Adeniyi and Secretary-General Mene covered an array of issues, including refining existing trade facilitation mechanisms under the AfCFTA framework.
“A central topic was the need to address barriers that continue to impede trade flows on the continent, with particular emphasis on enabling Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to capitalise on AfCFTA opportunities.” It added.
“The meeting underscored the importance of removing existing bottlenecks and creating a conducive environment for SMEs, recognising their pivotal role in fostering intra-African trade. The session further stressed the necessity of empowering SMEs, as their success is closely tied to achieving the long-term objectives of the AfCFTA.” The statement said further.
On his part, Secretary-General Mene commended the Nigeria Customs Service for spearheading progressive reforms that have become a model for customs administrations across Africa.
He applauded the launch of pilot phase of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, the implementation of Advanced Rulings, and the conduct of Time Release Studies, which according to him, had established Nigeria as a key player in the AfCFTA implementation process.
“These initiatives represent the forward-thinking approach of the Nigeria Customs Service, setting a standard for customs administrations across the continent,” Mene said.
Responding, CGC Adeniyi acknowledged the AfCFTA Secretariat’s commitment to advancing the trade bloc’s agenda, despite the challenges posed by limited resources.
He credited the Nigerian government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for providing the legislative backing required to support the NCS’s modernisation efforts, adding, “The Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, has been instrumental in fostering innovation within the service.”
“The Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 has provided the necessary legal foundation to implement initiatives that align with the government’s vision of transforming Nigeria into the most efficient trading nation on the continent,” Adeniyi remarked.
He also emphasised the role of the Act in promoting SME growth and enhancing Nigeria’s export potential, further contributing to intra-African trade.
A highlight of the meeting was the recognition of Mrs. Chinwe Ezenwa, CEO of LE LOOK Nigeria Limited, who became the first woman to export goods under the AfCFTA’s Guided Trade Initiative (GTI).
Her company’s export of goods from Apapa Port in Lagos on 16 July 2024 to East, Central, and North African countries represents a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s participation in the AfCFTA market.
The AfCFTA Secretariat, in a show of continued commitment, pledged to draft a concept note outlining the next steps for accelerating the full implementation of the free trade area.
