The Nigeria’s Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has affirmed that interoperable customs systems are essential for the successful implementation of the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project.

Adeniyi made the remarks on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, during the signing of a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Security to commence the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project. The signing ceremony was held in Lagos on the sidelines of the Digital Trade Forum 2026.

According to the CGC, the absence of harmonised technology among customs administrations across the continent has remained one of the most significant barriers to advancing the AfCFTA agenda.

“We are indeed delighted because one of the major obstacles that we have faced in this journey of implementation of AfCFTA is the interoperability of our systems. All the Customs administrations cannot operate at the same level, but when we have interoperability, it becomes easier for us all to hook up to one system and get trade facilitation done,” Adeniyi said.

He also welcomed the appointment of Bergmans Security to lead the initiative, describing the development as a major milestone for Nigeria’s customs modernisation programme and a testament to the country’s progress in digital transformation.

“We are delighted that it is a Nigerian company that has been given this platform to extend what they have been doing to the rest of Africa and for us to achieve trade facilitation and the implementation of the AfCFTA,” he stated.

Earlier at the event, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, said the Secretariat adopted Nigeria’s customs modernisation model after witnessing the country’s successful deployment of digital technologies that have improved revenue generation and operational efficiency.

“Today, as we speak, Nigeria is benefiting from the deployment of these technologies. And from our point of view, the Continent has much to gain from the model introduced here in Nigeria. So that’s why we signed the MOU today. We believe that the partnership with Bergaman Security will enable us to reach our objective of creating a continental, modern, interoperable Customs system that will ensure that all our economic operators benefit from an expanded market,” Mene noted.

The AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project is expected to deepen customs cooperation among member states through harmonised digital platforms. The initiative is also designed to improve trade facilitation, optimise revenue collection, and accelerate the full implementation of the AfCFTA by establishing a more efficient and integrated continental trading environment.