President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, 17 November 2025, urged African nations to break down inefficient borders, modernise their Customs systems and embrace a unified trade architecture that can reshape the continent’s economic future. Speaking at the maiden Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade Summit at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said Africa’s prosperity depends on reforms that turn its large population and market into a functional economic force.
Shettima told delegates that the continent can no longer afford fragmented markets or weak implementation of trade policies. He said every African country must show political will, institutional alignment and readiness to deploy technology that simplifies trade. According to him, the administration’s reform efforts, including exchange rate unification, fuel subsidy removal, port modernisation and stronger Customs digitalisation, were designed to create a trade-friendly environment that can compete globally and support Nigeria’s continental ambitions.
The Vice President highlighted Nigeria’s National Single Window, scheduled to go live in March 2026, as one of the key tools expected to reduce clearance timelines from 21 days to under seven. He said this shift will align Nigeria with AfCFTA’s digital trade requirements and position the country as a leader in port automation, making trade processes faster and more transparent for businesses.
Shettima urged African governments to translate commitments into measurable progress that traders and manufacturers can experience daily, adding that “Integration cannot be declared. It must be engineered.” He warned that without clear actions, the continent risks missing the economic opportunities offered by a unified African market.
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said President Tinubu’s extension of his mandate included performance indicators linked to the African Continental Free Trade Area. He said Nigeria’s Customs Service has, over the last three months, increased engagement with Customs administrations across Africa to ensure proper alignment with AfCFTA structures.
Adeniyi recalled recent consultations in Ghana with the AfCFTA Secretariat, explaining that Customs must drive rules of origin enforcement, preferential duty implementation and trade preference administration. He stressed that these core elements determine whether AfCFTA becomes fully operational or remains only an aspiration.
He noted that implementing a free trade agreement requires strong political commitment and extensive capacity building because it involves gradually suspending Customs duties among member states. He added that previous regional efforts such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme failed due to inconsistent implementation, saying AfCFTA must avoid repeating that pattern.
According to him, African economies have different levels of readiness, but recent engagements have helped build consensus that Customs must sit at the centre of AfCFTA execution. He said his advocacy for stronger Customs inclusion led to the creation of C-PACT, a framework that connects African Customs administrations, private-sector operators, regulators and international partners.
Adeniyi added that Nigeria’s export volume has grown by more than 30 percent in two years, and the next goal is to channel more of that trade into African markets where opportunities and economic impact are greater. He also commended AfreximBank, the AfCFTA Secretariat, NEPC, commercial banks, NPA and other agencies for supporting efforts to improve trade facilitation across the continent.
