Comptroller Gambo Aliyu Highlights Benefits Of AfCFTA During Chambers Of Commerce Lecture
By Asuquo Nuwak
Comptroller Gambo Aliyu Highlights Benefits Of AfCFTA During Chambers Of Commerce Lecture
••• He cautions against non beneficial export commodities such as scrap metals, raw hide and skin, artifacts and antiquities, maize, unprocessed rubber latex, rough or sawn timber and endangered wildlife species or their product.
Comptroller Gambo Iyere Aliyu, the Customs Area Controller, Oyo/Osun Area Command on Wednesday, 22nd October 2025, disclosed the requirements needed to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and cautioned against non beneficial export commodities.
Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this when he delivered a lecture at the Chambers of Commerce on the topic: “Products that can be Imported or Exported from Nigeria: AfCFTA, Rules of Origin and the Drive for Value Addition”.
Comptroller Aliyu, took time out to say that AfCFTA aims to create a single market for goods and services across Africa, while providing Nigerian exporters access to a market of over 1.3 billion consumers, with a combined GDP exceeding $3.4 trillion.
In the same vein, he said only goods that meet the criteria of Rules of Origin, which are obtained or substantially transformed in Nigeria, can benefit from AfCFTA.
A statement signed and released by Assistant Superintendent of Customs I, Abiodun Akintola, on Wednesday, 22 October 25, quoted the Cusoms Area Controller as saying that not all goods are eligible for export, citing schedule 6 of the Common External Tariff (CET), which prohibits the export of items such as maize, unprocessed rubber latex, raw hides and skins, rough or sawn timber, scrap metals, artifacts and antiquities, and endangered wildlife species or their product.
Similarly, he said crude oil and natural gas are dominant export commodities, stressing that the government’s diversification efforts have led to significant growth in non-oil exports, such as cocoa, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, ginger, palm oil, rubber, and hibiscus flowers.
Furthermore, he mentioned solid minerals, like limestone, lead, zinc, and tin, as well as processed foods, textiles, and leather products, as beneficial export commodities.
Commenting on Nigeria’s trade potentials, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu revealed that Nigeria occupies a strategic position in global trade, being richly endowed with vast natural resources and a growing industrial base.
Moreover, he said the country’s import and export activities reflect its economic strength and developmental goals.
He revealed the pivotal role of the Nigeria Customs Service as the driver of trade in Nigeria, tasked with ensuring diversification, efficiency, and the integrity of the supply chain.
Commenting on the Service under the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, he said the Service has embarked on a robust modernization programme aimed at achieving end-to-end automation of business processes to enhance transparency and competitiveness.
At the end, he reaffirmed the commitment of the Service to promoting legitimate trade, protecting the economy, and supporting government policies geared toward sustainable economic growth through value addition, export expansion, and industrial development.
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