Nigeria Customs to Host Major Conferences on Border Security, African Trade in December
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will host two major conferences in Abuja in December 2026 to strengthen border security, facilitate legitimate trade and promote economic integration across Africa.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference is scheduled for December 7 and 8, while the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) 2026 Conference will take place from December 9 to 11.
According to a statement by the Service, the CGC Conference will be held under the theme, “Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities.”
The conference will provide an opportunity to review the NCS’s modernisation efforts, assess progress made on previous commitments and examine the relationship between effective Customs administration, national security and trade facilitation.
The C-PACT 2026 Conference, themed “One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts,” will focus on strengthening cooperation among African Customs administrations and improving digital connectivity across the continent.
The CGC Conference will bring together government officials, Customs leadership, trade stakeholders and institutional partners to evaluate reforms aimed at modernising operations and improving trade facilitation.
Discussions will focus on digital Customs systems, trusted trade corridors, seamless payments, intelligence-led enforcement, emerging border threats, inter-agency collaboration and public trust.
The programme will also feature a review of commitments made in 2025 and achievements recorded in 2026, alongside presentations on Customs modernisation and the presentation of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificates.
Other stakeholders expected to participate include the National Single Window Secretariat, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), excise-sector representatives and AEO beneficiaries.
The second day of the CGC Conference will focus on coordinated responses to border security threats, with participation expected from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the NCS, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
The continental C-PACT 2026 Conference will bring together African Customs administrations, policymakers, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Regional Economic Communities, border management agencies, development partners, technology providers and private-sector representatives.
The conference will examine challenges affecting cross-border trade, including fragmented procedures, duplicated controls, inadequate information exchange, incompatible digital systems and poor coordination among border agencies.
Participants will explore how One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), interconnected Customs platforms, harmonised procedures and coordinated risk management can reduce delays, lower trade costs and improve the movement of goods across African trade corridors.
The programme will include policy discussions, technical sessions, technology demonstrations, presentations on existing and emerging One-Stop Border Posts, and discussions on public-private partnerships for financing modern border infrastructure.
It will also focus on implementing key AfCFTA initiatives, including the AfCFTA Integrated Transit System, the Single Bond Guarantee Scheme and the Electronic Certificate of Origin system.
The NCS said the conference was expected to produce practical recommendations, identify investment and technology opportunities, strengthen institutional partnerships and develop a roadmap for interconnected digital border systems across Africa.
The Service, under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with national institutions, regional partners and international stakeholders to strengthen border security and support Africa’s economic integration.
It added that the outcomes of both conferences were expected to improve Customs operations, enhance regional cooperation and advance the AfCFTA’s objective of building an integrated, competitive and prosperous African market.
