World Customs Organization: Nigeria participates in 74th Harmonised System Committee Meeting, delivers paper

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has significantly participated at the World Customs Organization (WCO) 74th Harmonised System Committee (HSC) Meeting, held at the Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

The Nigerian Customs Service team was led by Assistant Comptroller Abubakar Hardo, Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Ekay Asuquo and CSC Lauretta Utubor (Team Lead Advance Rulings) to the event that lasted from 16 to 27 September 2024.

As a vital tool in global trade facilitation, the Harmonised System Committee (HSC) exerted its supervisory role in driving the Harmonised System Nomenclature (HSN), towards trade and provision of standardised system for the classification of goods.

As a Contracting Party, Nigeria’s participation in the HSC is pivotal considering the nation’s large market index in Africa leading to high volumes of imports from across the globe. The impact of these policies, particularly on customs formalities, has far-reaching economic consequences, making Nigeria’s contributions to such discussions critical.

The HSC focuses primarily on the tariff classification of goods, ensuring that products are correctly categorised under the Harmonised System Nomenclature. This involves detailed discussions on goods descriptions and the appropriate tariff codes or headings that align with legal provisions and explanatory notes. The HSC ensures that global trade remains efficient, transparent, and standardised through this process.

Additionally, the opportunity to raise tariff classification issues that may have caused prolonged disputes between customs and economic operators allows for an objective resolution aided by input from other Contracting Parties.

Similarly, a delegate from Nigeria who happens to be a beneficiary of the WCO 88th fellowship programme, CSC Lauretta Utubor, the Team Lead for Advance Rulings in Nigeria, made a presentation at the Leadership Management Development workshop on Friday, 20 September 2024. The presentation, which also took place at the Headquarters of WCO in Brussels, emphasised the role of essential tools such as self-awareness, strategic communication, political will, intentionality, people management, and change management played towards the successful implementation of Advance Rulings in Nigeria.

She also underscored Nigeria’s dedication to adopting global best practices and the Comptroller General Customs, Adewale Adeniyi’s commitment towards promoting trade facilitation and customs modernisation.

This high-level engagement with technical experts from customs administrations worldwide enables Nigeria to enhance its decision-making capacity when issuing legally binding advice to economic operators. Furthermore, the insights gained from the 74th HSC meeting are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s customs processes and contribute to the nation’s continued leadership in trade facilitation on the African continent.