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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will host two conferences in Abuja in December to strengthen border security, reduce delays in cross-border trade and improve cooperation among African countries.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference will hold from December 7 to 8, 2026, while the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Conference is scheduled for December 9 to 11.
The NCS disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada.
The CGC Conference, themed *“Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities,”* will review the service’s modernisation efforts and assess progress made in implementing previous reform commitments.
Discussions will focus on digital customs operations, faster payments, intelligence-led enforcement, emerging security threats and cooperation among security agencies.
The conference will also examine the impact of reforms on trade and revenue and feature the presentation of Authorised Economic Operator certificates to eligible businesses.
According to the NCS, the second day will focus on coordinated responses to border threats, bringing together agencies including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
The C-PACT conference, with the theme “One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts,” will focus on improving trade among African countries through better coordination of border operations and digital systems.
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The NCS said fragmented procedures, repeated inspections, poor information sharing and incompatible digital platforms continued to create delays and increase the cost of moving goods across African borders.
It said the conference would explore how One-Stop Border Posts, harmonised procedures and secure information exchange could reduce delays and make cross-border trade more predictable.
The programme will feature policy discussions, technical sessions, demonstrations of border technologies and presentations on existing and planned One-Stop Border Posts.
Participants will also examine the implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area initiatives, including the AfCFTA Integrated Transit System, Single Bond Guarantee Scheme and Electronic Certificate of Origin system.
The NCS said the conference was expected to produce practical recommendations, identify investment opportunities and develop a roadmap for connecting border systems across Africa.
The service, under Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the conferences formed part of its efforts to strengthen border security, facilitate legitimate trade and support Africa’s economic integration.
It added that the outcomes were expected to improve customs operations, deepen regional cooperation and advance the goal of a more integrated African market.
