The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced plans to host two conferences in Abuja in December to strengthen border security, assess its modernisation reforms and advance cooperation on trade across Africa.
The Comptroller-General of Customs Conference will hold from December 7 to 8, 2026, followed by the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Conference from December 9 to 11.
In a statement signed by its National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, the Service said the gatherings would connect national reform priorities with continental efforts to improve border management and facilitate legitimate trade.
The CGC’s Conference, themed “Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities,” will bring together government officials, Customs leaders, trade stakeholders and institutional partners.
Participants will review commitments made in 2025, assess results achieved in 2026 and examine how Customs reforms are affecting trade, revenue and national security.
The programme will feature presentations on modernisation, the presentation of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificates and discussions on measuring reform outcomes.
Deliberations will be organised around two sub-themes: “Enabling African Trade: Digital Customs, Trusted Corridors and Seamless Payments” and “Secure Borders, Safer Communities: Intelligence, Partnership and Trust at the Frontline.”
The Service said digital transformation and stakeholder partnerships would form a major part of the discussions, with participants expected to assess operational improvements and identify areas requiring further attention.
Stakeholders expected to contribute include AEO beneficiaries, the National Single Window Secretariat, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, excise-sector representatives and other relevant institutions.
The second day will focus on coordinated responses to emerging and overlapping border threats, with participation from security and enforcement institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
Discussions will also examine intelligence-led enforcement, inter-agency cooperation and officers’ professional responsibilities in protecting communities and maintaining public trust.
Building on the national conference, C-PACT 2026 will take the discussions to the continental level under the theme “One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts.”
The conference will bring together African Customs administrations, policymakers, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Regional Economic Communities, border agencies, development partners, technology providers and private-sector representatives.
Its central focus will be addressing fragmented procedures, duplicated checks, limited information sharing, incompatible digital systems and weak coordination among border agencies.
Participants will explore how **One-Stop Border Posts**, supported by connected Customs platforms, harmonised procedures and coordinated risk management, can reduce delays, lower trade costs and make the movement of goods more predictable.
The programme will include high-level policy dialogue, technical sessions, technology demonstrations and presentations on experiences from existing and emerging One-Stop Border Posts.
It will also examine public-private partnerships for financing and delivering modern border infrastructure.
Attention will be given to implementing relevant AfCFTA initiatives, including the Integrated Transit System, the Single Bond Guarantee Scheme and the Electronic Certificate of Origin system.
According to the NCS, C-PACT is expected to produce practical recommendations, identify priority technology and investment opportunities, strengthen institutional partnerships and develop a roadmap for interconnected, digitally enabled border systems across Africa.
The Service, led by Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said both conferences would reinforce accountability for ongoing reforms while promoting practical links between border security, trade facilitation, innovation and safer communities.
It added that the outcomes were expected to improve Customs operations, strengthen regional cooperation and support the AfCFTA’s goal of a more integrated and competitive African market.