Rules of Origin: Customs Trains 25 Officers In Collaboration WIth WCO, GIZ, Others 

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Nigeria Customs Service has reiterated its commitment to enhancing border security and trade facilitation by engaging officers in various capacity building workshops.

Participants during the training

Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, disclosed above on Monday, January 22, 2024, at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College Gwagwalada, during the inauguration of a 5-day workshop on ‘Rules of Origin,’ organized in collaboration with the Alliance for Trade Facilitation, GIZ, and the World Customs Organization (WCO).

ACG Alfa addressing participants

Represented by the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Tariff and Trade, DCG Abdullahi Musa, CGC Adeniyi welcomed WCO Experts visiting Nigeria to enhance officers’ expertise in trade facilitation and enable their participation in the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.

Addressing the foreign development partners, DCG Musa said, “On behalf of the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, you are welcome to the opening session of the national workshop on the Rules of Origin, jointly sponsored by the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, GIZ, and WCO Rules of Origin for Afri.”

He stressed the CGC’s commitment to collaborate with development partners for capacity building, emphasizing the importance of the workshop in strengthening the Nigeria Customs Service.

“So far, the Nigeria Customs Service has been designated the competent authority for issuing Certificates of Origin. Over the next five days, 25 officers will undergo intensive training on the Rules of Origin”

He thereafter declared this workshop open on behalf of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Azzam delivering a lecture

The lead origin expert for the WCO, Mette Azzam, said the training workshop is an opportunity for excellent collaboration between customs administration, WCO, and GIZ.

While highlighting the increasing importance of knowledge on Rules of Origin worldwide, particularly with the proliferation of Free Trade Agreements, Azam stressed that determining the value of goods incorrectly could lead to wrong duty payments, even if not as much as expected.

She also highlighted the impact of Rules of Origin on revenue and stressed the need to correctly determine the preferential value of goods to avoid incorrect duty payments.

Speaking, the Assistant Comptroller General in charge of Strategy, Research, and Policy, ACG Ibrahim Alfa, urged participants to pay attention to the workshop’s teachings, emphasizing its significance in enhancing the Service’s efficiency in revenue generation.

Alfa emphasized the importance of correctly determining the preferential value of goods to avoid erroneous duty payments.

He reiterated the workshop’s focus on promoting the Service’s efficiency in revenue generation. He encouraged participants to absorb the knowledge presented, emphasizing its relevance to the evolving landscape of international trade agreements.

The 5-day workshop is expected to empower 25 officers from the Nigeria Customs Service through intensive training, discussions, and assessments on the Rules of Origin.

As the Customs Service collaborates with international partners, the aim is to enhance officers’ expertise and contribute to successfully implementing the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.