By Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigeria Customs Service, in a release on Sunday, August 24, has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating closely with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture to enhance trade facilitation, revenue generation, and border management. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, gave this assurance when he received Jami Ibrahim, the newly elected National President of NACCIMA, and his management team at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja. According to the statement, Adeniyi made this assurance on Thursday, August 21.
The Comptroller-General of Customs appreciated NACCIMA’s commendation and endorsement of ongoing Customs reforms. He noted that his administration values collaboration as a means of balancing revenue generation, national security, and trade facilitation. Adeniyi stated, “When I assumed office, one of the first things I was deliberate about was the issue of collaboration. Revenue and security are important, but to succeed in both, we must also strengthen trade facilitation.” He added, “Today, I am pleased to inform you that we are fully on course with this collaboration. In that spirit, we will dedicate special desks for your members to resolve issues regarding the implementation of our processes.”
On the other hand, Jami Ibrahim, NACCIMA President, congratulated Adeniyi on his election as the Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation Council. Ibrahim praised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to extend Adeniyi’s tenure, viewing it as a vote of confidence in his transformational reforms. He highlighted the positive impact of initiatives like the Authorised Economic Operator programme, the indigenous digital platform B’odogwu, Time-Release Studies, and enhancements to the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report. These innovations are helping to reduce bureaucratic delays, decrease cargo dwell time, and bolster Nigeria’s standing in global trade.
He added, “The private sector, through NACCIMA and the organised private sector, is fully committed to supporting the NCS in achieving its mandate. We strongly advocate the establishment of a Joint Technical Facilitation Committee with representatives from both NACCIMA and the NCS. This will provide a framework for regular consultation and measurable progress on all areas of collaboration.”
