The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for developing indigenous digital technology capable of transforming customs administration across Africa.
Mene made the commendation on Thursday, August 6, 2026, during a working visit to the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
He described the Service’s technology-driven reforms as a practical African solution to longstanding challenges affecting trade, revenue collection and border management across the continent.
The AfCFTA Secretary-General observed that several African countries still rely heavily on manual customs processes, which he said contribute to revenue leakages, border delays and low levels of intra-African trade.
He said Nigeria’s technological advancement provides a sustainable model that could be adapted by other African countries to modernise customs administration.
Mene said the technology he saw at the Nigeria Customs Service was “truly state-of-the-art”, congratulating the Service for achieving significant progress within a short period.
He expressed AfCFTA’s readiness to collaborate with the NCS and learn from its innovations, stressing that the benefits of the technology extend beyond Nigeria to the African continent.
Mene also described the Nigeria Customs Service data centre as a strategic continental asset that could support African countries that lack the resources to establish similar digital infrastructure.
He said the facility demonstrates Africa’s growing capacity to develop and manage critical digital infrastructure independently.
Responding, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, appreciated the AfCFTA Secretary-General for recognising the Service’s modernisation efforts.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to developing technology that reflects Africa’s unique trade realities and supports the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
He said the Service would continue to expand the frontiers of innovation while learning from global best practices and developing solutions that advance the interests of the continent.
The Comptroller-General also pledged continued collaboration with AfCFTA and other African customs administrations to deepen digital integration, facilitate legitimate trade and strengthen regional economic cooperation.
He said the commendation by the continental trade body further reinforces the Nigeria Customs Service’s resolve to sustain its technology-driven modernisation agenda.