President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged Nigeria’s commitment to transforming Africa’s borders from barriers into economic enablers, declaring that the continent must move beyond accepting “slow borders as destiny.”
This was contained in a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications, Office of the Vice President.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of the Customs Pact – Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade in Abuja, President Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, outlined an ambitious vision for continental integration centered on practical systems rather than rhetoric.
“Nigeria remains firmly committed, structurally and operationally, to building an Africa that trades by design, where integration is practical, measurable and effective,” President Tinubu declared. “Our ambition is simple: a continent where borders facilitate opportunities rather than inhibit them.”
The President emphasized that while African nations have made significant progress through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), execution is now critical. “Success will be judged not by communiqués but by real outcomes: shorter border-crossing times, reliable local-currency settlements and efficient movement of goods across borders and ports,” he maintained. “Our vision must translate from conference halls to the daily experiences of traders, manufacturers, logistics operators and farmers.”
President Tinubu detailed extensive reforms his administration has implemented, including the unification of the foreign exchange window, removal of fuel subsidies, and modernization of port operations with 24-hour clearance. “Each decision was a step towards a Nigeria that trades with confidence and an Africa that negotiates from a position of strength,” he continued.
The President reported measurable progress, noting that Nigeria’s non-oil exports to African markets increased by 38 percent year-on-year in 2024, while cargo clearance time at major seaports has been reduced by approximately 30 percent since 2023.
A centrepiece of Nigeria’s strategy is the National Single Window platform, set to launch in March 2026. The digital system will “cut cargo clearance time from twenty-one days to under seven,” President Tinubu announced, positioning Nigeria as “a continental standard-bearer for customs digitalisation and seamless intra-African commerce.”
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, praised the administration’s achievements, stating that “under President Tinubu’s decisive leadership, the administration has achieved a unified exchange rate, strengthened fiscal discipline, and is on course to accelerate regional economic integration under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
World Customs Organization Secretary-General Ian Saunders applauded the ongoing reforms, assuring that “the WCO stands with Nigeria in facilitating legitimate trade.”
Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi urged stakeholders to embrace integration, emphasizing, “We cannot continue to work in silos.” He said the engagement’s primary outcome is “to ensure that customs administrations are more actively engaged in AfCFTA implementation, while strengthening dialogue and mutual understanding between customs administrations and the private sector across the continent.”
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene assured that “the Secretariat will work closely with the NCS to ensure that the objectives of C-PACT unfold into a pleasant reality.”
The event brought together partners and leaders from across Africa to address customs modernization and trade facilitation on the continent.
