By Lucy Ogalue
The Nigeria African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Office says Customs operations play a critical role on the continent to success of the AfCFTA Agreement.
Mr Olusegun Awolowo, the National Coordinator of the Office, said this at a workshop on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the AfCTA Coordination Office in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
“We are so lucky that in Nigeria, our own customs has really geared up to the task, right from the inception of when we were negotiating for this agreement.
” The NCS has been a very pivotal part of it. That is why they were chosen to be the Designated Competent Authority (DCA).
“So the essence of this workshop is to talk to them and interact on the necessary steps forward, what we are supposed to do.
“At the end of the meeting, the Customs Service is now more client-centric.They have now resolved to help and make trade for exporters more seamless,” Awolowo said.
As part of his recommendations, the coordinator restated the importance for strengthened capacity building for customs officers at the exit points and Command Posts.
Awolowo said there was a need for the country to adopt and leverage technology for efficient trade facilitation and foster public-private collaboration to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in trade expansion.
“I am confident that with the continued zeal of the Comptroller-General (C-G) and his team with the collaboration of all stakeholders, Nigeria will fulfil its obligations under AfCFTA.
“It will also lead the continent in harnessing the immense opportunities presented by this agreement.
“Together, we will ensure that trade thrives and that Nigeria reaps the full benefits of AfCFTA. The question will then change from is Nigeria ready for AfCFTA, to is AfCFTA ready for Nigeria?” he said.
For his part, the Comptroller-General of NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, expressed the readiness of the service to implement the agreement, saying it is waiting for gazetting by the Federal Government.
Adeniyi, represented by the Deputy Comptroller- General, on Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, said the AfCFTA implementation would among other things, promote industrialisation, create jobs and grow the economy.
“I would just say we are just waiting for the gazetting by the Federal Government, because we are ready to implement.
“Once the trade takes place properly, African exporters will benefit. It will enhance competitiveness, promote intra-African trade, grow investments, which will lead to sustainable development within the region,” Adeniyi said.
The C-G expressed the committment of the NCS to modernising its operations by leaveraging digital tools that enhanced transparency and ensured facilitating the process.
Also speaking , Muhammed Ladan, the former Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies reiterated the benefits of AfCFTA and the role the customs must play to ensure its full implementation.
“You can only enhance trade facilitation when you simplify the process. Customs need to adopt the key guiding principles of Transparency, simplification, harmonisation and standardisation.
“The responsibility of customs is to utilise these principles to ensure that trade supply chains are unhindered, this in turn will make them more efficient and effective in conducting their mandate on AfCFTA,” Ladan said.
Similarly, Mrs Demitta Gyang, the Director, Customs administration, AfCFTA Secretariat, said the role of customs was key as they could make or mar the agreement.
Representing the Afrexim Bank, Mr Benoit Messi, the Senior Manager Commodities Finance, reiterated the importance for the country and continent at large to trade with each other.
“We need to shape ourselves into an appealing market place so that investors will see us as opportunities and invest in us.
” We at Afreximbank consider intra-African trade as the new wealth of Africa. We need to take the opportunities presented to us through implementation of AfCFTA, ” he said.
NAN