Customs, CDCFIB Collaborates On National Security

As NACCIMA Pledge Cooperation On Trade Facilitation

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s enduring collaboration with agencies under the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) on Thursday, 21 August 2025, stressing that shared facilities and operational cooperation remain key pillars of partnership.

During a courtesy visit by the CDCFIB leadership to Customs Headquarters in Abuja, CGC Adeniyi highlighted ongoing collaborations, including the use of Customs facilities by Immigration and Correctional Services personnel.

“In Ibadan, we have a five-storey building where two floors are dedicated to Immigration and a Correctional Service detachment,” he said. “In Kano, our facilities support Immigration recruitment exercises, while in Bauchi, a wing is set aside for our colleagues. These prove that, despite structural changes, our bond remains strong. We work together and will continue to do so.”

Earlier, CDCFIB Secretary, Major General AbdulMalik Jibril (rtd), congratulated CGC Adeniyi on his tenure extension and commended his contributions to Nigeria’s economy and security.

“As Secretary to the Board of these four services, I consider it necessary to rekindle our relationship and strengthen synergy. Whenever the need arises, we must be able to approach one another. This visit seeks to consolidate our partnership and reinforce cooperation for national security,” he said.

He explained that the visit aimed to deepen collaboration in training, recruitment, and shared operational support, which aligns with the federal government’s whole-of-society approach to security management.

Meanwhile, Spokesman of the NCS, Dr. Abdullahi Maiwada in a statement said the Service and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) have held talks centred on partnership to strengthen trade facilitation.

The CGC according to the release has reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to closer collaboration with NACCIMA to enhance trade facilitation, revenue generation, and border management. Adeniyi was quoted as giving the assurance on Thursday, 21 August 2025, while receiving the newly elected National President of NACCIMA, Jani Ibrahim, and his management team at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

Welcoming the private sector delegation, the CGC expressed appreciation for the association’s commendation and endorsement of ongoing Customs reforms. He noted that his administration had, from the onset, prioritised collaboration as a means of balancing revenue generation, national security, and trade facilitation.

“When I assumed office, one of the first things I was deliberate about was the issue of collaboration. Revenue and security are important, but to succeed in both, we must also strengthen trade facilitation,” CGC Adeniyi said.

He added, “Today, I am pleased to inform you that we are fully on course with this collaboration. In that spirit, we will dedicate special desks for your members to resolve issues regarding the implementation of our processes.”

In his remarks, NACCIMA President Jani Ibrahim congratulated Adeniyi on his election as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation Council, describing it as “a well-deserved recognition of Nigeria’s growing leadership in customs administration.”

He also commended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to extend Adeniyi’s tenure, calling it a vote of confidence in his transformational reforms.

Ibrahim praised Customs for reforms such as the introduction of the Authorised Economic Operator programme, deployment of indigenous digital platforms known as B’odogwu, Time-Release Studies and improvements to the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report.

He noted that these innovations were already reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, lowering cargo dwell time, and strengthening Nigeria’s position in global trade.

“The private sector, through NACCIMA and the organised private sector, is fully committed to supporting Customs in achieving its mandate,” Ibrahim said.

He added: “We strongly advocate the establishment of a Joint Technical Facilitation Committee with representatives of both NACCIMA and Customs. This will provide a framework for regular consultation and measurable progress on all areas of collaboration.”

He stressed that such cooperation would not only reduce the cost of doing business but also position Nigeria more strategically under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).