Why Nigeria Customs Deepened Strategic Ties With China

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has taken a major step in its efforts to modernise operations and strengthen regional trade by engaging in high-level talks with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation in customs training and technology adoption.

The meeting, held on July 25 in Beijing, brought together senior officials from both nations, including a 21-member Nigerian delegation led by Assistant Comptroller-General Oluyomi Adebakin, Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC).

They met with Chinese counterparts from the GACC’s International Cooperation Division, its Training and Education Centre, and the Shanghai Customs College.

Central to the discussions were modern approaches to customs administration, with a particular focus on training systems, digital integration, and trade facilitation. Chinese officials shared details of their technology-driven training framework, which includes virtual reality simulations, 5G-enabled systems, and hybrid e-learning modules.

In 2024, China’s customs service ran more than 8,000 physical training sessions and developed 360 online courses—figures that underscore the country’s emphasis on capacity building.

Nigeria has been an active participant in China-led training programmes in recent years, with more than 200 African customs officers—89 of them Nigerian—receiving instruction in areas ranging from anti-smuggling strategies to food safety and smart port operations since 2023.

Officials also acknowledged Nigeria’s recent reform efforts and growing stature on the global stage, especially following the election of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council. Chinese authorities described his election as a defining moment for African leadership in global customs governance.

The engagement yielded commitments to explore new forms of technical collaboration, including officer exchanges, joint research on customs innovation, and regional intelligence-sharing platforms. Nigeria is also expected to participate in forthcoming Customs Modernisation Courses and officer development programmes hosted by the Shanghai Customs College.

The meeting was facilitated by the Platform Business Development Agency as part of broader efforts to improve institutional capacity, promote ease of doing business, and align customs procedures with continental frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In a statement following the talks, the Nigeria Customs Service reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening human capital, deepening international partnerships, and aligning its processes with global best practices.

“This engagement is a clear demonstration of our determination to modernise our operations, improve trade efficiency, and support the long-term goals of regional economic integration,” the statement read.

With a renewed focus on digital transformation and institutional development, the NCS under Comptroller-General Adeniyi’s leadership continues to position itself as a key driver of Nigeria’s trade competitiveness within Africa and beyond.