As part of its sustained initiatives to promote inclusive trade and support small-scale businesses in Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has met with a delegation from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) Secretariat on the implementation of the Simplified Trade Regime (STR) platform.
The meeting, which was held on March 23 at the NCS headquarters in Abuja, focused on advancing the implementation of the STR), a framework designed to ease cross-border trade for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the continent.
Speaking during the meeting with the AfCTA’s team, the NCS Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, who represented the Comptroller-General, Wale Adeniyi, reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to facilitating trade through simplified and transparent customs processes.
She assured: “Our goal is to make trade easier, more transparent, and inclusive for small-scale traders, while ensuring compliance with national and regional trade regulations.”
- Advertisement -
Earlier in his opening remarks, the leader of the AfCFTA delegation, Pedro Estevao, spoke about Nigeria’s designation as the pilot country for the implementation of the STR framework in West Africa based on the country’s position as the region’s largest market, giving it a strategic advantage in driving inclusive trade and regional economic growth.
During the engagement, the NCS presented its draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementing the STR in Nigeria, which outlined simplified customs procedures for informal cross-border trade, passenger baggage, and low-value e-commerce transactions, supported by digital declaration systems and risk-based controls.
Similarly, a consultant with the AfCFTA Secretariat, Nabil Zibani, presented the proposed continental STR framework, stressing the need for accessible and transparent systems that will enable MSMEs to comply with customs procedures and actively participate in regional trade.
After the presentations, the discussions by the representatives of the two groups identified key areas of alignment between the NCS draft SOP and the AfCFTA framework, including simplified documentation and procedures, deployment of digital platforms for declarations and clearance, adoption of de minimis thresholds for low-value trade, and the promotion of inclusive trade, particularly for women and small businesses.
Following the discussion, the representatives of the NCS and AfCTA agreed on the need for sustained technical engagement by the two organisations to refine implementation strategies, address operational challenges, and ensure alignment between national and continental frameworks.
Analysts believe that the meeting marks a desirable step toward positioning Nigeria as a pilot country for the implementation of the STR under AfCFTA’s coordination, and reinforcing the NCS’ commitment to facilitating SSA’s merchandize trade, strengthening regional integration, and promoting inclusive economic growth in the various countries.
