The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has strengthened efforts to promote inclusive trade and support small-scale businesses through a strategic engagement with a delegation from the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.
The meeting, held on March 23, 2026, at the NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, focused on advancing the implementation of the Simplified Trade Regime (STR), a framework designed to ease cross-border trade for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to facilitating trade through simplified and transparent customs processes.
“Our goal is to make trade easier, more transparent, and inclusive for small-scale traders, while ensuring compliance with national and regional trade regulations,” she stated.
In his opening remarks, the leader of the AfCFTA delegation, Pedro Estevao, highlighted Nigeria’s designation as the pilot country for the STR in West Africa. He noted that the country’s position as the region’s largest market gives it a strategic advantage in driving inclusive trade and regional economic growth.
During the engagement, the NCS presented its draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementing the STR in Nigeria. The proposal outlines simplified customs procedures for informal cross-border trade, passenger baggage, and low-value e-commerce transactions, supported by digital declaration systems and risk-based controls.
Also speaking, Nabil Zibani, a consultant with the AfCFTA Secretariat, presented the proposed continental STR framework, emphasising the need for accessible and transparent systems that enable MSMEs to comply with customs procedures and actively participate in regional trade.
Discussions identified key areas of alignment between the NCS draft SOP and the AfCFTA framework, including simplified documentation and procedures, deployment of digital platforms for declarations and clearance, adoption of de minimis thresholds for low-value trade, and the promotion of inclusive trade, particularly for women and small businesses.
Both parties agreed on the need for sustained technical engagement to refine implementation strategies, address operational challenges, and ensure alignment between national and continental frameworks.
The engagement marks a significant step toward positioning Nigeria as a pilot country for the Simplified Trade Regime under AfCFTA, while reinforcing the NCS’s commitment to facilitating legitimate trade, strengthening regional integration, and promoting inclusive economic growth.
