By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the American Business Council (ABC) have agreed to strengthen bilateral engagement and deepen collaboration to promote trade facilitation, enhance predictability for businesses and boost investor confidence in Nigeria’s operating environment.
This commitment was reaffirmed on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, when the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, received a high-level ABC delegation on a courtesy visit to the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja. The meeting brought together representatives of leading American firms including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Cisco, Mantrac and the U.S. Embassy.
Welcoming the delegation, CGC Adeniyi said the Nigeria Customs Service has, over the years, institutionalised transparency, stakeholder consultation and continuous engagement as core pillars of its reforms. He noted that no modern customs administration can succeed without sustained dialogue with the business community, adding that such interactions ensure clarity, efficiency and trust.
Adeniyi highlighted ongoing reforms targeted at improving predictability for traders, particularly the deployment of the One-Stop-Shop initiative across major commands to streamline cargo examination, simplify documentation and reduce delays. He assured the delegation that the Service remains committed to addressing operational challenges within its mandate, but emphasised that trade facilitation is a shared responsibility involving several government agencies. According to him, continuous dialogue with the private sector remains indispensable for resolving issues and sustaining reform momentum.
Responding on behalf of the visiting delegation, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Business Council, Margaret Olele, said the visit was aimed at strengthening long-standing cooperation with the Nigeria Customs Service. She commended what she described as noticeable improvements in port processes, communication channels and the ease of resolving trade-related enquiries.
Olele noted that American companies operating in Nigeria have reported greater clarity in Customs procedures over the past year. Predictability and transparency, she said, are central to business decision-making, adding that the modernisation efforts being implemented under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 have boosted confidence among U.S. investors. She praised the CGC for personally receiving the delegation, describing his gesture as a strong indication of the Service’s commitment to partnership and stakeholder engagement.
Both parties later agreed to institutionalise quarterly engagement sessions to track progress, resolve emerging issues and maintain open communication channels for American companies operating across Nigeria’s trade corridors.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared desire of the Nigeria Customs Service and the American Business Council to promote a more efficient, transparent and investor-friendly trade environment for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and its international partners.
