Nigeria Customs Service strengthens trade cooperation with the UK, focusing on digital border management and improved data transparency.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has strengthened bilateral cooperation with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom to enhance trade facilitation and digital border management.
According to NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, the development followed a high-level meeting in London under the Nigeria–UK Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP).
The meeting, held on the sidelines of President Bola Tinubu’s state visit, was led by NCS Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi and HMRC’s Head of International Customs Engagement, Megan Shaw.
Discussions focused on customs modernisation, improving transparency in bilateral trade data, and expanding operational cooperation to boost efficiency across the Nigeria–UK trade corridor.
Officials identified discrepancies in trade data as a major challenge, noting that while about £504 million worth of UK goods were recorded as imports into Nigeria in 2024, the UK reported exports to Nigeria valued at approximately £1.7 billion.
To address this gap, both sides agreed to explore a structured pre-arrival data exchange system between their digital customs platforms.
The engagement also highlighted the UK’s advancements in artificial intelligence-driven trade tools, digital verification systems, and real-time analytics.
Both countries agreed to deepen collaboration in deploying technology to improve border management and compliance monitoring.
The meeting produced several outcomes, including plans to develop a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Framework, initiate technical cooperation, and establish a joint engagement mechanism under the ETIP framework.
Adeniyi emphasised that effective customs cooperation is critical to economic growth and sustainable trade, noting the long-standing economic relationship between Nigeria and the UK across sectors such as agriculture, energy, and industrial goods.
The NCS reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening global partnerships as part of its broader modernisation agenda aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness in Nigeria’s trading environment.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.
