The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited to implement a 20-year Concession for the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project (ACMP).
Bashir Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) speaking after the signing ceremony which took place in Lagos on the sideline of the Digital Trade Forum 2026 described the agreement as a landmark step towards achieving true trade facilitation under the AfCFTA.
According to Adeniyi, African countries currently operate different customs management systems, making cross-border trade unnecessarily complex.
“In Nigeria, we moved from Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) to NICIS and now to B’Odogwu, our indigenous customs processing platform. Other countries such as Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda and Morocco operate different systems. What this agreement will achieve is interoperability, allowing these systems to communicate seamlessly,” Adeniyi said.
He explained that once implemented, customs declarations made in one African country would be recognised and processed electronically in another, eliminating duplication and significantly reducing delays at border crossings.
