By Onu Okorie

 Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has stressed that interoperable customs systems across Africa are essential for the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA.

Adeniyi spoke in Lagos during the signing of a 20-year Public-Private Partnership PPP agreement between the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat and Bergmans Security to commence the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project. The ceremony was held on the sidelines of the Digital Trade Forum 2026. He stressed that the absence of harmonised technology remains one of the biggest obstacles to seamless intra-African trade.

According to the Customs chief, while customs administrations across the continent operate at varying levels of technological development, interoperability would enable them to connect through a common platform, making trade facilitation more efficient.

“We are indeed delighted because one of the major obstacles that we have faced in this journey of implementation of AfCFTA is the interoperability of our systems. All the Customs administrations cannot operate at the same level, but when we have interoperability, it becomes easier for us all to hook up to one system and get trade facilitation done,” he said.

Adeniyi also welcomed the selection of Bergmans Security to execute the project, describing it as a major milestone for Nigeria’s customs modernisation programme and a recognition of the country’s achievements in digital transformation.

He said the decision to entrust a Nigerian company with the continental initiative reflected confidence in the country’s technological capabilities and would further support trade facilitation and AfCFTA implementation across Africa.

Earlier, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, said the Secretariat adopted Nigeria’s customs modernisation model after witnessing the country’s success in deploying digital technologies that have significantly improved revenue collection and operational efficiency.

Mene said the partnership with Bergmans Security would help the Secretariat realise its objective of building a modern, interoperable continental customs system capable of supporting businesses and expanding market opportunities for economic operators across Africa.

The AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project is expected to strengthen customs cooperation among member states through harmonised digital platforms, improve trade facilitation, optimise revenue collection and accelerate the full implementation of the continental free trade agreement by creating a more integrated and efficient trading environment.