From Atiku Sarki, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will host the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference from December 7 to 8, 2026, and the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) 2026 Conference from December 9 to 11, 2026, in Abuja.
The conferences are part of the service’s efforts to strengthen border security, facilitate legitimate trade and advance regional economic integration.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, PhD, mnipr, mniia, on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs.
According to the statement, the CGC Conference, themed “Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities,” will provide a platform to review the service’s modernisation efforts, assess progress against previous commitments and reinforce the relationship between effective customs administration, national security and trade facilitation.
The statement added that C-PACT 2026, themed “One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts,” would extend the discussions to the continental level, focusing on practical approaches to coordinated border management and digital connectivity across Africa.
The CGC Conference will bring together government officials, customs leadership, trade stakeholders and institutional partners to examine the service’s progress in implementing modernisation and trade facilitation reforms.
Under the sub-themes “Enabling African Trade: Digital Customs, Trusted Corridors and Seamless Payments” and “Secure Borders, Safer Communities: Intelligence, Partnership and Trust at the Frontline,” the programme will review commitments made in 2025 and achievements recorded in 2026.
It will also feature presentations on customs modernisation, the presentation of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificates, and discussions on measuring the impact of reforms on trade and revenue.
According to the statement, the conference will examine intelligence-led enforcement, emerging border threats, inter-agency collaboration and officers’ professional responsibilities in protecting communities and maintaining public trust.
Another major component will focus on how digital transformation and stakeholder partnerships are improving customs operations.
Stakeholders, including AEO beneficiaries, the National Single Window Secretariat, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), excise-sector representatives and other relevant institutions, will have the opportunity to assess reform outcomes and identify areas requiring further improvement.
The second day of the CGC Conference will focus on coordinated responses to emerging and interconnected border threats.
Relevant security and enforcement institutions expected to participate include the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the NCS, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
Building on the national conference, C-PACT 2026 will provide a continental platform for customs administrations, policymakers, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Regional Economic Communities, border management agencies, development partners, technology providers and private-sector stakeholders to strengthen cooperation in African trade.
The statement noted that the conference would address persistent challenges affecting cross-border trade, including fragmented procedures, duplicated controls, limited information exchange, incompatible digital systems and inadequate coordination among border agencies.
It will also explore how One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), supported by interconnected customs platforms, coordinated risk management, harmonised procedures and secure information exchange, can reduce delays, lower trade costs and improve the predictability of goods movement across African trade corridors.
The C-PACT 2026 programme will feature high-level policy dialogue, strategic discussions among customs administrations, technical sessions on connected borders, presentations of operational experiences from existing and emerging OSBPs, technology demonstrations and discussions on public-private partnerships for financing and developing modern border infrastructure.
The conference will also focus on implementing relevant AfCFTA initiatives, including the AfCFTA Integrated Transit System, the Single Bond Guarantee Scheme and the Electronic Certificate of Origin system.
According to the statement, the conferences are expected to generate practical recommendations, identify priority technology and investment opportunities, strengthen institutional partnerships and develop an implementation-focused roadmap for interconnected, digitally enabled border systems across Africa.
The NCS, under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, and its management team, reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with national institutions, regional partners and international stakeholders to secure borders, facilitate legitimate trade and support Africa’s economic integration agenda.
Through the CGC Conference and C-PACT 2026, the service aims to reinforce accountability for ongoing reforms while advancing practical solutions that connect border security with trade facilitation, technological innovation and safer communities.
The statement added that the outcomes of the two conferences are expected to improve customs operations, strengthen regional cooperation and advance the AfCFTA’s objectives of building a more integrated, competitive and prosperous African market.
