NCS, AfCFTA Coordination Committee Hold Workshop To Boost Intra-African Trade
NCS, AfCFTA Coordination Committee Hold Workshop To Boost Intra-African Trade
By Asuquo Nuwak
In an effort to enhance trade facilitation across the African continent, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Committee, held a one-day workshop on 17 October 2024 at the Bolton White Hotel in Abuja.
The event brought together key officers of the NCS, including Area Controllers and representatives from the AfCFTA Coordination Office, to discuss strategies for improving trade across Africa.
In his opening remarks, Segun Awolowo, National Coordinator of the AfCFTA Committee, highlighted the immense potential of AfCFTA in transforming Africa’s economic landscape.
He emphasised the agreement’s role in eliminating tariffs on most goods and services, reducing barriers to capital and labour, and creating a more favourable environment for investment across the continent.
Segun Awolowo announced that, the objective of the workshop is to highlight the crucial role played by the trade exit points, the vital function of the port Customs Area Controllers, as well as the importance of Customs command posts under the AfCFTA framework.
According to him, these elements are pivotal in ensuring that the seamless facilitation of trade, as envisaged by the AfCFTA, becomes a practical reality for businesses in Nigeria and across Africa.
The Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of the NCS Tariff & Trade Department, Caroline Niagwan, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the event, reiterated the NCS’s commitment to fully supporting the implementation of AfCFTA through measures that simplify trade processes and promote regional integration.
In the words of DCG Caroline Niagwan: “It is our responsibility to ensure that we deploy efficient measures that simplify the implementation of AfCFTA. This includes the digitisation and harmonisation of customs procedures to facilitate the smooth flow of goods and services across African borders”.
DCG Niagwan, stressed the need for the Nigeria Customs Service to modernise its operations by leveraging digital tools that streamline trade processes and improve overall performance. She added that: “To achieve the objectives of the AfCFTA, we must embrace technological advancements that will enable us to carry out our mandate efficiently”.
She said, the workshop was mainly organised to addressed the significant opportunities AfCFTA presents for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Besides, the agreement is expected to position African SMEs to compete more effectively on the global stage by unlocking new markets and removing trade barriers.
According to her, the collaborative efforts between the NCS and the AfCFTA Coordination Committee, are considered essential in ensuring that the continent fully benefits from integrated trade, ultimately fostering sustainable economic growth across Africa.
In her conclusive remarks at the event, she disclosed that the workshop marks another step in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to align its trade policies with the broader vision of African economic integration and development.
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