LAGOS – The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi had reaffirmed the Service’s dedication to maintaining open communication channels with its partners.

“Our focus remains on strengthening our relationship with both traditional and new stakeholders through continued strategic communication efforts,” he stated, emphasising the importance of listening to and addressing the concerns of those engaged with the Nigeria Customs Service.

Also, a move to tackle bottlenecks against intra-African trade, CG Adeniyi held a high-level meeting with the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene.

This meeting aimed at addressing bottlenecks confronting smooth intra-African trade. The meeting was held on the margins of the Biashara Afrika 2024 forum, hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, from October 9 to 11, 2024.

This significant engagement brought together key stakeholders to discuss ways to enhance intra-African trade and foster deeper economic integration.

The meeting between the CGC and the Secretary-General provided a unique opportunity to refine strategies aimed at improving trade facilitation under the AfCFTA agreement.

Discussions centered on addressing existing bottlenecks and encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the agreement, given their critical role in boosting intra-African trade. Particular emphasis was placed on the role of Customs in these efforts.

During the meeting, the AfCFTA Secretary General praised the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its progressive initiatives, including the pilot phase of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, the implementation of Advanced Rulings, and the conduct of Time Release studies.
https://independent.ng/x-raying-achievements-of-cg-adeniyi-the-independent-public-servant-of-the-year-2024-award-2/