The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Customs Administration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have signed a Joint Declaration aimed at strengthening cooperation in trade facilitation, border security, intelligence sharing, capacity building, and the fight against transnational organised crime.
According to an official signed statement by the National Public Relations Officer for the Comptroller-General of Customs, Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DCC) Abdullahi Maiwada, the declaration was signed on June 24, 2026, in Brussels by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, and the Director-General of Netherlands Customs, Mrs. Nanette Van Schelven.
The statement noted that the agreement followed a series of high-level engagements between both customs administrations focused on customs modernisation, compliance management, enforcement cooperation, and intelligence sharing. It added that the development builds on the Nigeria Customs Service’s bilateral working visit to the Netherlands in October 2025 and a reciprocal visit by a Netherlands Customs delegation to Nigeria in March 2026.
During the engagements, both administrations explored areas of cooperation including risk management, cargo clearance systems, trade facilitation, border control, supply chain security, capacity development, and efforts to combat illicit trade.
The Joint Declaration acknowledged Nigeria’s strategic role as one of West Africa’s leading economies and a key trading partner of the Netherlands. Both parties also recognised that enhanced customs cooperation and institutional capacity building are essential for facilitating legitimate trade while addressing illegal cross-border activities.
The agreement further highlighted growing concerns over the trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, counterfeit products, wildlife products, and weapons, stressing the need for coordinated international responses to tackle such threats effectively.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi stated that the Netherlands Customs Administration has demonstrated the immense value of international cooperation in addressing emerging trade and border management challenges.
He said the partnership would strengthen intelligence sharing, enhance capacity development, improve enforcement effectiveness, and support collective efforts to secure international supply chains while facilitating legitimate trade.
Adeniyi described the declaration as a major milestone in the Nigeria Customs Service’s international cooperation agenda and a reflection of the strong relationship that has developed between both customs administrations over the years.
Also speaking, the Director-General of Netherlands Customs, Mrs. Nanette Van Schelven, said both administrations face similar challenges in an increasingly interconnected global trading environment.
She noted that closer collaboration would promote mutual learning, strengthen operational capabilities, and enhance efforts to combat transnational organised crime while supporting efficient and transparent trade processes.
The declaration commits both parties to deepening collaboration through the exchange of expertise, training, knowledge sharing, and the establishment of structured cooperation frameworks.
It also provides a foundation for the development of a joint work plan and future cooperation mechanisms aimed at improving border efficiency, promoting fair trade practices, strengthening supply chain security, and addressing challenges associated with both legal and illegal cross-border movement of goods.
