By Chesa Chesa
Nigeria is working to have an Africa where borders are efficient enough to facilitate trade and other economic opportunities rather than hinder them, says President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja where he declared open the Customs – Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) conference bing hosted by Nigeria Customs Service, the President urged African nations to be disciplined in working towards building borders that meet the high demands and rapid pace of contemporary technological advancement.
Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said while nations exist to complement one another, size, resources, and talent are inconsequential if they are trapped behind inefficient borders and fragmented markets.
“Nigeria remains firmly committed, structurally and operationally, to building an Africa that trades by design, where integration is practical, measurable and effective. Our ambition is simple: a continent where borders facilitate opportunities rather than inhibit them,” he declared.
The President noted that “fragmented markets cannot achieve industrial scale, negotiate effectively with global powers, or withstand external shocks, adding, however, that integration “enables large-scale industrialisation, collective bargaining strength and resilient supply chains.”
According to him, Nigeria is approaching this responsibility with practical systems and infrastructure rather than rhetoric, even as he said the strength of a continental market can only be engineered and not declared.
President Tinubu stated that while Africa had already taken the hardest step by agreeing on integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), what is crucial at the moment is execution.
“Success will be judged not by communiqués but by real outcomes: shorter border-crossing times, reliable local-currency settlements and efficient movement of goods across borders and ports. Our vision must translate from conference halls to the daily experiences of traders, manufacturers, logistics operators and farmers,” he maintained.
The President recalled that the urge to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians informed his administration’s decision to reform “structural barriers to trade and investment, removing bottlenecks that limit competitiveness, and rebuilding institutions for efficient regional integration.”
In achieving this, he said the administration quickly embarked on unifying the foreign exchange window, removing fuel subsidies to redirect resources to critical infrastructure, and modernizing port operations with 24-hour clearance.
He continued: “We adopted the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System to boost intra-African trade, and we prioritised non-oil export growth across key sectors. These reforms reinforce one another, creating a coherent foundation for stronger continental commerce and competitiveness. Each decision was a step towards a Nigeria that trades with confidence and an Africa that negotiates from a position of strength.
“We believe that our institutions have been deliberately aligned into a unified trade-enablement architecture, dismantling the traditional silos that once separated agencies. The Nigeria Customs Service now advances digital clearance systems and risk-based inspections.
“The Nigerian Ports Authority drives port efficiency. The Central Bank enables local-currency settlements through PAPSS. The Standards Organisation harmonises product standards with continental frameworks. NEPC and NEXIM Bank strengthen export readiness and provide targeted financing.
“This coordinated, integrated institutional approach is essential for successful continental integration, for no single agency can deliver the scale of reform required for Africa’s prosperity.”
On his part, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, urged relevant authorities and stakeholders to adopt cross-country trade facilitation and integration, emphasizing, “We cannot continue to work in silos.”
According to Adeniyi, the primary outcome of the engagement in Abuja, which involved all African regions, is to ensure that customs administrations are more actively engaged in AfCFTA implementation, while strengthening dialogue and mutual understanding between customs administrations and the private sector across the continent.
The Secretary-General of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, assured that the Secretariat will work closely with the NCS to ensure that the objectives of C-PACT unfold into a pleasant reality.
