The Nigeria Customs Service and the American Business Council have pledged to strengthen trade cooperation and address obstacles affecting businesses through sustained stakeholder engagement.
The commitment was renewed during a quarterly meeting held at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja, where stakeholders explored measures to enhance trade facilitation, strengthen security frameworks, and deepen economic cooperation between Nigeria and the United States
Speaking at the meeting, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, emphasised the importance of regular consultations with stakeholders, describing such engagements as vital to improving trade processes and resolving operational challenges.
According to him, the Customs Service plans to institutionalise the quarterly meetings as a permanent feature of its engagement framework to ensure continuous dialogue with the business community.
“It is our intention that we will institutionalise this as a permanent feature of the Customs calendar because of the importance we attach to this kind of engagement,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss also highlighted ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing trade efficiency and ease of doing business.
He briefed participants on developments surrounding the Advance Ruling system, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, Post Clearance Audit, the B’Odogwu platform, and improvements in cargo scanning integration and clearance procedures.
Members of the American Business Council commended the reforms introduced by the Service and acknowledged the progress made in facilitating trade. However, they also urged Customs to implement faster mechanisms for addressing unresolved issues affecting businesses.
President of the American Business Council, Nneka Enwereji, described the meeting as productive and praised the Customs leadership for its efforts to improve the business environment.
“This session has been phenomenal and demonstrates your commitment to improving ease of doing business. You have raised the bar, and there is a lot that can be learned from this,” she said.
The meeting underscored the shared commitment of both organisations to fostering a more efficient trade environment, strengthening investor confidence, and promoting economic growth through enhanced collaboration.
What do you think about this?
Drop your opinion in the comment section.
FOLLOW US & Share this with someone who needs to see this.
