- Tinubu Applauds Nigerian Company for Securing 20-Year AfCFTA Customs Project
- Tinubu said the adoption of a system developed and tested in Nigeria for the continental project demonstrated the potential of Nigerian institutions
- Mene was in Nigeria for the signing of the agreement and inspected the country’s customs modernisation programme alongside members of the Senate Committee on Customs
President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the selection of a subsidiary of Nigerian-owned Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited to implement a 20-year, multi-billion-dollar African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Customs Modernisation Project.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the President described the development as a major recognition of Nigeria’s growing capacity to develop indigenous solutions capable of serving the wider African market.
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The project will be executed through Bergmans’ subsidiary, AfriTrade CMP Limited, which is expected to deploy digital and physical infrastructure to modernise customs processes, cargo tracking, border management and trade data exchange across participating African countries.
Another subsidiary of the company, Trade Modernisation Project Limited, is currently implementing Nigeria’s indigenous customs modernisation programme.
Tinubu said the adoption of a system developed and tested in Nigeria for the continental project demonstrated the potential of Nigerian institutions and businesses to provide solutions capable of supporting deeper African integration.
“What has been built and tested in Nigeria is now providing a model for the continent. This is how African integration should work: Africans building African solutions for African opportunities,” Tinubu said.
The President commended Bergmans, AfriTrade CMP Limited, Trade Modernisation Project Limited, the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and other Nigerian professionals involved in developing the systems.
“I commend Bergmans, AfriTrade CMP Limited, Trade Modernisation Project Limited, the Nigeria Customs Service, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the Nigerian professionals whose work has earned this confidence,” he said.
The development was also highlighted during a visit by AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, to the headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.
Mene was in Nigeria for the signing of the agreement and inspected the country’s customs modernisation programme alongside members of the Senate Committee on Customs led by its Chairman, Senator Jibrin Isah.
During the visit, Mene described B’Odogwu, Nigeria’s indigenous Unified Customs Management System, as a potential model for adoption by other African countries.
He disclosed that non-African companies had also offered to provide similar services for the continental project, but AfCFTA opted for an African-developed solution.
The decision, he said, underscored the importance of African innovation and expertise in advancing regional integration and strengthening the continent’s trade infrastructure.
Senator Isah, after observing the systems in operation, said members of the Senate committee had become ambassadors of Nigeria’s customs modernisation programme.
B’Odogwu, which was first piloted in October 2024, has since become a major component of Nigeria’s customs reform programme, alongside cargo tracking, data infrastructure, surveillance, risk management and non-intrusive inspection systems.
The continental project is expected to further position Nigeria’s customs technology and expertise as a potential reference point for improving trade facilitation and border management across Africa.
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