Customs, US business groups meet in Abuja to ease cargo clearance
- Nigeria Customs met US Chamber of Commerce and American Business Council officials in Abuja on 28 October.
- Customs said it plans 22 more scanners at ports, airports and borders and more digital, paperless processes.
- US business representatives said smoother customs work benefits investors and ordinary people alike.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) met representatives of the US Chamber of Commerce, the US-Africa Business Centre and the American Business Council (ABC) Nigeria in Abuja on 28 October, in a quarterly meeting aimed at making trade between Nigeria and the United States easier.
The meeting held at the Customs headquarters' ICT Auditorium in Maitama. For ordinary Nigerians, the talks touch on how quickly goods enter the country, how predictable import charges are, and ultimately what shoppers pay at the market.
Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi was represented by the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan. She said the goal is a modern, transparent and responsive Customs that facilitates trade while still collecting revenue, securing borders and enforcing the rules.
Niagwan said predictable procedures, clear tariff administration, timely cargo clearance and effective ways to settle disputes are key to improving the ease of doing business and building investor confidence. She described the meeting as a chance to hear concerns from American businesses already operating in Nigeria or looking to invest.
Scanners and paperless processes
The Deputy Comptroller General in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said licence and permit applications are being automated. He said 22 additional scanners are planned for seaports, airports and border stations, alongside digital platforms to streamline operations.
Customs also said it is moving towards paperless administration and asked the business community to give feedback on problems they face.
Kendra Gaither, President of the US-Africa Business Centre at the US Chamber of Commerce, praised the Service's role in Nigeria's economic development, noting that good customs work often goes unnoticed when things run smoothly. She said effective customs operations matter for investment in agriculture, energy, critical minerals, healthcare and the digital economy.
ABC Nigeria's Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary, Margaret Olele, commended Customs on trade facilitation, transparency and stakeholder engagement. She congratulated the Service on being ranked a top agency in the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Compliance Assessment.
The council also noted improvements to the Authorised Economic Operator programme, advance rulings and dispute resolution, saying the quarterly meetings have helped clear long-standing business complaints.
What happens next
The sources did not give a timeline for installing the 22 scanners or for the full switch to paperless processes. The quarterly engagement is expected to continue, with businesses urged to report challenges through it.
