• Initiative aims to clear bottlenecks to trade facilitation, others
James Emejo in Abuja
Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, has moved to institutionalise regular engagement between Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the business community as part of efforts to address trade bottlenecks, improve cargo clearance processes, and strengthen economic relations between Nigeria and the United States.
Adeniyi disclosed the initiative during a quarterly meeting between NCS and American Business Council (ABC) held at the Service Headquarters in Abuja.
Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration aimed at enhancing trade facilitation, boosting operational efficiency, and improving the ease of doing business.
The customs boss said the service would make stakeholder consultations a permanent feature of its operations, stressing that sustained dialogue remains critical to identifying challenges confronting businesses and developing practical solutions to support trade and investment.
He said, “It is our intention that we will institutionalise this as a permanent feature of the customs calendar because of the importance we attach to this kind of engagement.”
Adeniyi used the forum to brief members of the council on ongoing customs reforms designed to modernise trade procedures and facilitate faster cargo movement across the country’s ports and borders.
He highlighted progress made on key initiatives, including Advance Ruling system, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, Post Clearance Audit, and B’Odogwu platform, all of which were aimed at improving transparency, predictability, and efficiency in customs operations.
According to him, the service is also making improvements in scanning integration and cargo clearance procedures to reduce delays and enhance trade facilitation.
The reforms form part of broader efforts by the customs service to streamline processes, strengthen compliance, and create a more predictable operating environment for legitimate businesses.
The meeting further underscored growing cooperation between NCS and the organised private sector, as both worked to remove impediments to trade, strengthen commercial relations, and support economic growth through a more efficient and predictable trading environment.
The session focused on measures to strengthen trade relations between Nigeria and the United States, improve security, and address operational constraints affecting businesses.
The ABC members welcomed the reforms and commended the customs leadership for maintaining constructive engagement with the private sector.
Members urged NCS to accelerate mechanisms for resolving outstanding operational issues affecting businesses, stating that prompt responses to trade-related concerns would further improve investor confidence.
President of the council, Mrs. Nneka Enwereji, described the session as productive and praised the service for its commitment to improving the business environment.
Enwereji said the engagement reflected custom’s determination to promote ease of doing business and foster stronger collaboration with investors.
Enwereji said, “This session has been phenomenal and demonstrates your commitment to improving ease of doing business. You have raised the bar, and there is a lot that can be learned from this.”
