Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — In a strategic move to modernise its operations and strengthen international trade facilitation, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has deepened its cooperation with China through a high-level engagement with the General Administration of Customs of China, GACC.
The meeting, held in Beijing, China, focused on customs capacity development, training, and technology adoption.
The 21-member Nigerian delegation was led by Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Oluyomi Adebakin, who serves as the Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada.
The team met with senior officials of GACC’s International Cooperation Division, Training and Education Centre, and Shanghai Customs College.
Speaking during the engagement, ACG Adebakin said the collaboration represents a major step in NCS’s strategic reform efforts.
“We are keen on learning from China’s highly digitised and structured customs training systems, particularly their use of virtual reality and 5G-enabled technologies in capacity building,” he noted.
China’s Customs Authority shared insights into its evolving training model, which recorded over 8,000 physical sessions and 360 online modules in 2024 alone. The sessions integrate simulation, blended e-learning, and digital platforms, tools that the NCS is exploring as part of its modernisation blueprint.
Also high on the agenda was Nigeria’s participation in China-led customs initiatives, with over 200 African customs officers, including 89 from Nigeria, receiving training since 2023. Areas of focus included trade facilitation, anti-smuggling operations, food safety regulation, and digital port systems.
The Chinese side commended Nigeria’s ongoing reforms, particularly the emergence of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi as the Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation, WCO, Council.
Both countries agreed to explore technical exchanges, joint research programmes, and officer development schemes to enhance regional port efficiency and cross-border intelligence. Nigeria is also set to participate in upcoming Customs Modernisation Courses at the Shanghai Customs College.
The visit was facilitated by the Platform Business Development Agency as part of efforts to enhance trade integration and position Nigeria for greater involvement in the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.
The NCS said it remains committed to building institutional capacity and aligning with global standards to drive efficiency, transparency, and economic competitiveness.
“We are laying the foundation for a 21st-century Customs service capable of supporting Nigeria’s ambition to become a continental trade hub,” Adebakin stated.
