Intra-African trade: NCS facilitates first shipment from Nigeria to Kenya under AFCFTA

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Major progress has been made in the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has facilitated Nigeria’s first shipment to Kenya.

This feat was achieved with Lucky Fibres, a subsidiary of the Tolaram Group, becoming one of the first companies to ship goods to Kenya under AfCFTA.

On Wednesday, 30 October 2024,Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Lead of Trade Enablement at the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, on a visit to Apapa Area Command noted that the shipment from Nigeria to Kenya, specifically to the port of Mombasa, demonstrated the collaborative spirit of AfCFTA.

Olutayo noted, “It is not that we are doing it alone; I have already sent a message to the Secretariat in Ghana that there will be a shipment under AfCFTA to Kenya. I have also communicated with the AfCFTA implementation committee in Kenya. So this is the spirit we are building to ensure that we increase intra-African trade.”

He emphasised the critical role of the service as the Designated Competent Authority (DCA) under AfCFTA, leveraging its expertise to ensure seamless trade.

“The Nigeria Customs Service has been fantastic; they are ready to facilitate trade. Once they hear that there is an issue, particularly around AfCFTA, you will see everybody ready to support and facilitate it, which is the essence of true trade facilitation.”

Assistant Comptroller Olusola Salako, the releasing officer for Lilypond Export Command at Apapa Area Command, highlighted the Nigeria Customs Service’s efforts to leverage technology to ensure that AfCFTA is successful in Africa.

“The service has aligned with the mandates of the World Customs Organisation to prioritise the importance of trade. Gone are the days when we experienced issues. Today, we have a Unified Customs Management System (UCMS). With trade becoming more global, we went back to the drawing board and improved our technology, which will help us facilitate trade.

“The service is already in top gear; officers have been trained, and we have dedicated officers, senior officers, and releasing officers for this particular export procedure—not limited to AfCFTA alone—and we also have dedicated ports,” Salako concluded.