President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to building an Africa where borders facilitate trade and economic opportunities rather than hinder them. Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the launch of the Customs Pact – Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), Tinubu called on African nations to adopt disciplined, technology-driven border systems capable of supporting modern commerce.
Represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu highlighted that while countries vary in size, resources, and talent, these advantages are meaningless if inefficient borders fragment markets and obstruct trade.
“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 stressed that fragmented markets limit industrial scale, global negotiation power, and resilience to external shocks, while effective integration supports industrialisation, collective bargaining strength, and resilient supply chains.
Tinubu outlined practical steps Nigeria has taken to advance intra-African trade, including:
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Unifying the foreign exchange window
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Redirecting resources from fuel subsidies to infrastructure
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Modernising port operations with 24-hour clearance
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Implementing the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to ease local-currency trade settlements
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Boosting non-oil export growth across key sectors
He also highlighted Nigeria’s coordinated institutional approach, with agencies like the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, Central Bank of Nigeria, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and NEXIM Bank working in harmony to facilitate seamless trade.
President Tinubu announced the National Single Window, a transformative digital platform, which will launch in phase one by March 2026 and be fully operational by December 2026. The system aims to:
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Enable businesses to submit import/export data once
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Automate inter-agency data sharing
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Apply risk-based compliance for faster clearance
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Reduce cargo clearance time from 21 days to under 7 days
“These reforms position Nigeria as a continental standard-bearer for customs digitalisation and seamless intra-African commerce,” he said.
At the event, Finance Minister Wale Edun, represented by Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to modernising customs administrations and supporting AfCFTA implementation. Industry Minister Dr. Jumoke Oduwole emphasized Nigeria’s progress under Tinubu’s leadership, including a unified exchange rate, fiscal discipline, and steps to accelerate regional economic integration.
International partners, including WCO Secretary-General Ian Saunders and Afreximbank EVP Kanayo Awani, praised Nigeria’s customs reforms, noting their role in promoting efficient trade and regional integration.
Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi urged African nations to adopt cross-country trade facilitation measures, stressing that “we cannot continue to work in silos,” while AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene pledged support to ensure the objectives of C-PACT translate into practical results.
President Tinubu concluded that Africa’s progress depends on effective execution of trade integration, and that success will be measured by tangible outcomes such as shorter border-crossing times, efficient settlements, and seamless movement of goods, rather than communiqués alone.
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