The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has strengthened its strategic engagement with the United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as part of efforts to enhance international customs cooperation and advance trade facilitation.
The development followed a high-level bilateral meeting held in London on March 18, 2026, under the framework of the Nigeria–United Kingdom Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP). The meeting took place on the sidelines of the state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and Ms Megan Shaw, Head of International Customs and Border Engagement at HMRC, led the discussions, which focused on advancing customs modernisation, improving data transparency in bilateral trade flows, and strengthening operational collaboration between both administrations.
Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi emphasised that effective customs cooperation remains a key driver of economic growth and sustainable trade development. He noted that Nigeria and the United Kingdom share a long-standing economic relationship supported by trade across critical sectors such as industrial goods, agriculture, energy, and consumer products.
He further highlighted the role of customs administrations as frontline institutions responsible for ensuring that trade between both countries remains transparent, secure, and mutually beneficial.
Both parties also acknowledged discrepancies in bilateral trade data, describing it as a structural issue requiring coordinated action. Available figures show that while Nigeria recorded imports of approximately £504 million worth of UK-origin goods in 2024, the United Kingdom reported exports to Nigeria valued at about £1.7 billion within the same period.
To bridge this gap, the two administrations agreed to explore the establishment of a structured pre-arrival data exchange framework between their digital customs platforms. The initiative is expected to enhance risk management, improve data reconciliation, and strengthen compliance monitoring.
The meeting also provided an avenue for both sides to showcase their customs modernisation programmes. HMRC highlighted its advancements in artificial intelligence-driven trade tools, digital verification systems, and real-time analytics, while both parties stressed the importance of deeper collaboration in technology deployment and digital border management.
Key outcomes of the engagement include plans to develop a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Framework, commence technical scoping for capacity-building and knowledge exchange, and establish a joint technical engagement mechanism under the ETIP framework.
The NCS reiterated its commitment to strengthening international partnerships as part of its broader modernisation agenda aimed at promoting transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness in Nigeria’s trading environment. The Service added that insights from the engagement would enhance its operational capacity, support trade facilitation, and align with Nigeria’s economic reform objectives under the Renewed Hope programme.
The statement was issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs.
