In a significant milestone for Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has facilitated the country’s first shipment to Kenya. The shipment, led by Lucky Fibres, a subsidiary of Tolaram Group, marked a historic moment as one of the first exports from Nigeria to Kenya under the AfCFTA framework.
The shipment, bound for Mombasa, Kenya, was closely monitored by senior officials, including Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Lead of Trade Enablement at the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office. Olutayo, during his visit to the Apapa Area Command on October 30, 2024, emphasized the collaborative spirit promoted by AfCFTA. He highlighted that communication and cooperation with the AfCFTA Secretariat in Ghana and the AfCFTA implementation team in Kenya were instrumental in ensuring the success of the shipment.
“It is not that we are doing it alone; I have already sent a message to the Secretariat in Ghana and communicated with the AfCFTA implementation committee in Kenya,” Olutayo remarked. “This is the spirit we are building to ensure that we increase intra-African trade.”
The NCS, recognized as the Designated Competent Authority (DCA) under AfCFTA, played a pivotal role in the export, leveraging its expertise and systems to ensure smooth trade operations. Olutayo praised the NCS for its commitment, noting, “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 at Lilypond Export Command, Apapa Area Command, also commended the NCS’s adoption of advanced technology to streamline the process. He stated that the introduction of the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) has been a transformative tool, enabling smoother trade operations.
“Gone are the days when we experienced issues,” Salako remarked. “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 for this particular export procedure.”
As the AfCFTA framework continues to unfold, the NCS’s proactive stance demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to promoting intra-African trade and enhancing economic integration across the continent. This successful shipment to Kenya marks a promising step forward for Nigeria’s role in fostering regional trade partnerships.