Nigeria Customs Service Deepens Strategic Engagement with China’s GACC on Customs Knowledge Exchange
Kathy Kyari
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has taken a significant step toward strengthening international cooperation through a high-level engagement with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).
The bilateral meeting, held in Beijing on July 25, 2025, brought together senior NCS officials and top representatives from the GACC to foster knowledge exchange and enhance capacity development in customs administration.
Leading the 21-member Nigerian delegation was Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Oluyomi Adebakin, Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada.
The delegation held strategic discussions with key Chinese counterparts from the GACC International Cooperation Division, the Training and Education Centre, and representatives of the Shanghai Customs College.
The engagement focused on strengthening cooperation in customs training methodologies, modernisation strategies, and the adoption of technology-driven solutions, particularly as China remains a critical player in Nigeria’s international trade landscape.
During the meeting, Chinese Customs officials shared insights into their structured training system, which incorporates virtual reality (VR), 5G-enabled platforms, and blended e-learning approaches. In 2024 alone, the GACC conducted over 8,000 in-person training sessions and developed 360 online courses.
Participants also reviewed Nigeria’s active participation in customs development initiatives spearheaded by China. Since 2023, over 200 African customs officers—89 of them from Nigeria have benefitted from training across various areas, including trade facilitation, anti-smuggling enforcement, food safety supervision, and digital port operations.
The Chinese officials commended the ongoing reforms within the Nigeria Customs Service and applauded the country's increasing influence on international customs platforms.
They specifically praised the election of Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council, describing it as “a significant milestone in Nigeria’s customs diplomacy.”
Both parties expressed a strong interest in pursuing technical exchange programmes, collaborative research initiatives, and officer exchange schemes aimed at improving regional port systems and cross-border intelligence cooperation.
The dialogue also opened new areas of collaboration, particularly Nigeria’s planned participation in upcoming Customs Modernisation Courses and officer development training at the Shanghai Customs College.
The meeting was facilitated by the Platform Business Development Agency, with its founder coordinating the engagement as part of broader efforts to drive customs sector reforms, enhance the ease of doing business, and strengthen institutional capacity.
This initiative aligns with wider goals of promoting knowledge sharing, harmonising customs procedures, and building integrated trade infrastructure to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, reiterated its commitment to “strengthening human capital, advancing intergovernmental partnerships, and modernising customs operations in accordance with global standards.”
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