By Martha Agas
A customs expert, Dr Eugene Nweke, has called for the harmonisation of customs procedures in West and Central Africa (WCA) to boost intra-African trade in the region.
Nweke, who is also the Secretary of the Customs Consultative Committee (CCC), made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
He said customs administrations play a critical role in enhancing regional trade by reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and promoting economic integration.
“Customs administrations in the WCA region should simplify and harmonise customs procedures to reduce bureaucracy and clearance times. This can be achieved through digitalisation, transparency, and consistent application of regulations,” he said.
He noted that Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programmes could enable trusted traders to expedite clearance processes, cut costs, and enhance efficiency.
The CCC official urged the customs administrations to collaborate in sharing best practices, coordinating policies, and addressing common challenges.
He also emphasised the need for targeted support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which often struggle with navigating complex customs procedures and leveraging trade agreements such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to him, customs officers should be equipped with training and capacity-building programmes focused on customs valuation, classification, and rules of origin.
Digital solutions, he added, should be implemented to streamline customs processes, improve data collection, and enhance trade facilitation.
“They should implement robust anti-corruption measures and ensure transparency in customs operations to build trust and confidence among traders.
“Customs administrations should also develop and implement regional strategic plans that align with continental frameworks like the AfCFTA to promote intra-African trade,” he suggested.
NAN reports that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recently hosted the fourth World Customs Organisation (WCO) Donors Conference for the West and Central Africa region.
At the conference, the Comptroller-General of NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, identified inadequate digital infrastructure as one of the major technical challenges hampering customs operations across the WCA region.
Adeniyi noted that the digital gap was affecting the seamless processing of declarations and risk management, while limited interconnectivity between national customs systems continued to obstruct effective information exchange.
