Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has facilitated Nigeria’s first shipment to Kenya under the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
The goods, transported by Lucky Fibres, a subsidiary of the Tolaram Group, are among the first products exported from Nigeria to Kenya through the AfCFTA framework.
The shipment, destined for the port of Mombasa, marks a significant step forward in promoting intra-African trade. During a visit to the Apapa Area Command on October 30, 2024, Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Lead of Trade Enablement at the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, emphasized the collaborative efforts involved.
“It is not that we are doing it alone; I have already sent a message to the Secretariat in Ghana that there will be a shipment under AfCFTA to Kenya. I have also communicated with the AfCFTA implementation committee in Kenya. So this is the spirit we are building to ensure that we increase intra-African trade,” Olutayo stated.
Olutayo commended the NCS for its dedication as the Designated Competent Authority (DCA) under AfCFTA, highlighting the agency’s pivotal role in promoting seamless trade across the continent.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has been fantastic; they are ready to facilitate trade. Once they hear that there is an issue, particularly around AfCFTA, you will see everybody ready to support and facilitate it, which is the essence of true trade facilitation.”
Assistant Comptroller Olusola Salako, the releasing officer for Lilypond Export Command at the Apapa Area Command, underlined NCS’s commitment to modernizing trade processes, noting that technology has been a crucial part of this evolution.
“The service has aligned with the mandates of the World Customs Organisation to prioritise the importance of trade. Gone are the days when we experienced issues. Today, we have a Unified Customs Management System (UCMS). With trade becoming more global, we went back to the drawing board and improved our technology, which will help us facilitate trade.”
Salako concluded by expressing confidence in the readiness of NCS officers to handle increased export activity under AfCFTA, stating that specialized training and dedicated personnel are in place to ensure streamlined procedures.