Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the American Business Council (ABC) have reaffirmed their commitments to strengthening trade relations and addressing bottlenecks affecting business operations through sustained public-private sector engagement.
The resolution was reached during the quarterly meeting held on 16 June 2026 at the Service Headquarters in Abuja, where discussions centred around improving trade facilitation, enhancing security, and promoting stronger economic ties between Nigeria and the United States.
During the meeting, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, emphasized the importance of regular consultations with stakeholders.
He noted that the engagement would be institutionalised as a permanent feature of the Service’s calendar.
“It is our intention that we will institutionalise this as a permanent feature of the Customs calendar because of the importance we attach to this kind of engagement,” Adeniyi said.
The CGC also briefed participants on developments in key trade facilitation initiatives, including the Advance Ruling system, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, Post Clearance Audit, the B’Odogwu platform, and ongoing improvements in scanning integration and cargo clearance procedures aimed at enhancing operational efficiency.
Members of the American Business Council welcomed the reforms and commended the Service’s efforts.
They also called for quicker mechanisms to address outstanding challenges affecting businesses.
The president of the American Business Council, Nneka Enwereji, who described the meeting as productive also praised the Customs leadership for its commitment to improving the ease of doing business in the country.
“This session has been phenomenal and demonstrates your commitment to improving ease of doing business. You have raised the bar, and there is a lot that can be learnt from this,” she said.
