President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the recognition of Nigeria’s Customs modernisation programme by the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, describing it as a major endorsement of the country’s growing capacity to develop indigenous solutions for the African market.
The President’s reaction followed the selection of AfriTrade CMP Limited, a subsidiary of Nigerian-owned Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, to implement a 20-year, multi-billion-dollar AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project.
The project is expected to deploy digital and physical infrastructure to improve customs operations, cargo tracking, border management and trade-data exchange across participating African countries.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said the development demonstrates that solutions developed and tested in Nigeria can serve as models for other African countries.
He commended Bergmans, AfriTrade CMP Limited, Trade Modernisation Project Limited, the Nigeria Customs Service and Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for contributing to the advancement of customs administration.
Tinubu also linked the development to his administration’s Nigeria First policy, saying competent Nigerian businesses would continue to receive opportunities to compete locally, across Africa and globally.
The President noted that the recognition reflects ongoing reforms within the Nigeria Customs Service, particularly in digital transformation, institutional development and the promotion of indigenous expertise.
The development was further highlighted during a visit by AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, to the NCS headquarters in Abuja, where he inspected the Trade Modernisation Project alongside members of the Senate Committee on Customs.
Mene described Nigeria’s indigenous Unified Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu, as a model capable of wider adoption across Africa. He said the AfCFTA opted for an African-developed solution despite receiving proposals from non-African companies.
B’Odogwu, piloted in October 2024, forms a key part of Nigeria’s customs modernisation efforts, supporting digital customs processes, cargo tracking, surveillance, risk management and non-intrusive inspection.
The system is also being integrated with the National Single Window, launched in March 2026 to provide a unified digital platform for cross-border trade, with the aim of making trade processes faster, more transparent and efficient.