By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will host the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference from December 7 to 8, 2026, and the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) 2026 Conference from December 9 to 11 in Abuja, as part of efforts to strengthen border security, facilitate legitimate trade and accelerate economic integration across Africa.
The two conferences will bring together government officials, Customs administrations, security agencies, trade stakeholders, regional institutions, development partners and technology providers to explore practical solutions to border management challenges and promote seamless cross-border trade.
According to an official statement signed by the Deputy Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, the CGC Conference will be held under the theme, “Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities.”
The conference will provide a platform to review the Service’s modernisation initiatives, assess progress on previous commitments and strengthen the link between effective Customs administration, national security and trade facilitation.
It will feature discussions on digital Customs operations, trusted trade corridors, seamless payments, intelligence-led enforcement, emerging border threats and inter-agency collaboration.
The programme will also review commitments made in 2025 and achievements recorded in 2026, alongside presentations on Customs modernisation and the presentation of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificates.
Stakeholders, including AEO beneficiaries, the National Single Window Secretariat, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, excise-sector representatives and other relevant institutions, will assess the impact of ongoing reforms and identify areas requiring further improvement.
The second day of the CGC Conference will focus on coordinated responses to evolving border threats, with the participation of relevant security and enforcement institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the NCS, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
The statement added that the C-PACT 2026 Conference, scheduled for December 9 to 11, would extend the discussions to the continental level under the theme, “One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts.”
The continental conference will focus on strengthening cooperation among African Customs administrations and addressing persistent challenges affecting cross-border trade, including fragmented procedures, duplicated controls, limited information exchange, incompatible digital systems and poor coordination among border agencies.
It will examine how One-Stop Border Posts, supported by interconnected Customs platforms, harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management and secure information exchange, can reduce delays, lower trade costs and improve the movement of goods across African trade corridors.
According to the statement, C-PACT 2026 will feature high-level policy dialogues, strategic discussions among Customs administrations, technical sessions on connected borders, technology demonstrations and presentations on operational experiences from existing and emerging One-Stop Border Posts.
The conference will also explore public-private partnerships for financing and delivering modern border infrastructure, while advancing key African Continental Free Trade Area 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 priority technology and investment opportunities, strengthen institutional partnerships and develop an implementation-focused roadmap for interconnected and digitally enabled border systems across Africa.
The statement said the Service, under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, would continue to strengthen collaboration with national institutions, regional partners and international stakeholders to secure Nigeria’s borders, facilitate legitimate trade and support Africa’s economic integration agenda.
It added that the outcomes of both conferences were expected to improve Customs operations, deepen regional cooperation and advance the AfCFTA’s objective of building a more integrated, competitive and prosperous African market.
