ABUJA, Nigeria — The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the Nigeria Customs Service have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a unified digital customs system aimed at simplifying cross-border trade, boosting revenue, and accelerating intra-African commerce.
The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the Digital Trade Forum 2026 in Lagos, establishes a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with a Nigerian technology firm, Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, to implement the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project (ACMP). The project will deploy a comprehensive digital and physical infrastructure to harmonise customs processes, enhance trade corridors, and streamline the movement of goods across all AfCFTA State Parties.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene said the partnership was aimed at simplifying trade, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), through modern digital customs systems. He noted that the Secretariat had closely monitored Nigeria’s customs modernisation efforts and identified the country’s digital customs model as one capable of being replicated across the continent.
“We have observed the excellent work being done in Nigeria in modernising customs systems and optimising revenue collection through digital platforms. The continent has a lot to gain from this model,” Mene said. He added that although several African countries have established one-stop border posts, many still suffer delays because their customs systems cannot communicate with one another.
Comptroller General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adeniyi, said the agreement would enable customs platforms used by different African countries to communicate seamlessly, making cross-border trade faster, easier and more efficient. According to Adeniyi, customs administrations across the continent currently operate different digital platforms for processing declarations, creating bottlenecks in trade.
“The essence of this agreement is to achieve interoperability of our systems so that customs platforms across Africa can speak to one another. When declarations are made in Ghana or any other country, the Nigerian customs system should be able to process them seamlessly as imports while exports are equally recognised across borders,” Adeniyi said.
The initiative builds on Nigeria’s successful deployment of the B’Odogwu platform, an indigenous customs processing system that has modernised customs administration through faster cargo clearance, stronger revenue assurance, and more efficient border operations. The continental platform will initially be deployed in at least six African countries before expanding across the continent.
President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the development, describing it as a practical demonstration that Africa is shifting from policy commitments to real implementation. He noted that Nigeria, alongside Morocco and Kenya, is piloting the AfCFTA’s ADAPT framework to connect national trade systems across Africa.
“The AfCFTA gives Africa the market. Digital trade gives that market speed, scale and reach,” Tinubu said.
Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, Saleh Ahmadu, said the company had spent the past five years developing and deploying a home-grown customs modernisation platform in Nigeria before attracting the interest of the AfCFTA Secretariat. He expressed confidence that the initiative would significantly reduce clearance times, eliminate regulatory fragmentation, and secure trade revenue through automated, transparent, and digital-first systems.
Once fully operational, the project is expected to service millions of users, simplifying customs declarations and other border procedures across the continent.
