By Stella Omona
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will host the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference and the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) 2026 Conference in Abuja to strengthen border security, facilitate legitimate trade and advance economic integration across Africa.
The CGC Conference is scheduled for December 7 to 8, 2026, while C-PACT 2026 will hold from December 9 to 11, bringing together government officials, Customs administrations, trade stakeholders, regional institutions and development partners.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, the CGC Conference will be held under the theme, “Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities.”
The conference will review the Service’s modernisation initiatives, assess progress on previous commitments and examine the relationship between effective Customs administration, national security and trade facilitation.
The C-PACT 2026 Conference, themed “One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts,” will focus on strengthening continental cooperation through coordinated border management, digital connectivity and harmonised Customs procedures.
According to the NCS, discussions at the CGC Conference will cover digital Customs systems, trusted trade corridors, seamless payments, intelligence-led enforcement and inter-agency collaboration.
Participants will also review commitments made in 2025 and achievements recorded in 2026, alongside presentations on Customs modernisation and the presentation of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificates.
Stakeholders, including the National Single Window Secretariat, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), AEO beneficiaries, excise-sector representatives and other relevant institutions, will assess the impact of ongoing reforms and identify areas requiring further improvement.
The second day of the CGC Conference will focus on coordinated responses to emerging border threats, with participation expected from the Office of the National Security Adviser, the NCS, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
The continental C-PACT 2026 Conference will address persistent challenges affecting cross-border trade in Africa, including fragmented procedures, duplicated controls, inadequate information exchange, incompatible digital systems and poor coordination among border agencies.
It will examine how One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), supported by interconnected Customs platforms, harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management and secure information-sharing systems, can reduce delays, lower trade costs and improve the movement of goods across African trade corridors.
The conferences are expected to provide a platform for Customs administrations and other stakeholders to strengthen partnerships, share best practices and advance a more secure, efficient and interconnected African trading system.
