Why Customs Is Partnering Unilever

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with Unilever Nigeria PLC, is strengthening cooperation on trade facilitation, regulatory compliance, anti-counterfeiting, intelligence sharing and capacity building as part of efforts to promote legitimate trade and protect Nigeria’s economic interests.

During a strategic engagement and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, 27 August 2026, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, said sustained engagement with the private sector remained critical to addressing emerging challenges affecting trade and industrial development.

He noted that the partnership would provide a structured platform for the Service and Unilever to exchange information, strengthen enforcement and develop practical responses to challenges affecting legitimate businesses.

According to the CGC, the MoU would enhance cooperation in preventing counterfeiting, intelligence sharing, and the identification and verification of suspected counterfeit products, while facilitating timely access to information on trademarks, product identification features, packaging and samples. “Some of the takeaways we get from these engagements with the private sector influence the policies and decisions that we take,” he stated, emphasising the importance of stakeholder feedback in improving Customs processes and strengthening trade facilitation.

The CGC affirmed that the Service would continue to support partnerships that promote compliance, protect legitimate businesses and consumers, and strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s trading environment.

He also commended Unilever for its sustained investment, innovation and contribution to employment generation in Nigeria, describing the company as a strategic partner in the country’s trade and industrial development.

The Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria PLC, Tobi Adeniyi, while commending the NCS for the progress recorded in its transformation agenda, particularly its digitalisation initiatives and the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, noted that the changes within the Service were increasingly visible and producing practical results. “It is actually rewarding to see the kind of transition that has happened over the years; the progress is visible,” he stated, noting that previous engagements with the Service had already yielded practical outcomes, including the application of lessons from training involving more than 70 Customs officers.

He said Unilever, which has maintained a presence in Nigeria since 1923, had localised more than 70 per cent of its raw materials and supported about 15,000 direct and indirect jobs, underscoring the importance of an efficient and predictable trade environment to the company’s operations.

He reaffirmed Unilever’s commitment to deepening its partnership with the NCS, particularly in combating counterfeiting and illicit trade, while expanding the collaboration through further engagements across the country.