The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is pushing ahead with plans to modernise customs systems across the continent, a move officials say could dramatically cut border delays and reduce the bureaucratic burden on businesses moving goods between African nations.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene held discussions this week with Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, a Nigerian firm specialising in digital customs and trade facilitation solutions, on the proposed AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project. The initiative aims to build continental digital customs infrastructure and harmonise border procedures, seen as critical to translating the trade pact’s promise into practical, on-the-ground results.
AfCFTA, through this discussion, seeks to create a modernised customs system, that will help faster border crossings, less paperwork, and more predictable trade routes, ensuring opportunities for African businesses to move goods across the continent.
While AfCFTA has created the largest free trade area by number of countries, traders have faced persistent hurdles, including fragmented customs procedures, manual processing systems, and inconsistent regulations at border posts.
Digital customs infrastructure and harmonised border procedures are viewed as core enablers for the AfCFTA to function effectively. Currently, moving goods across African borders often involves multiple layers of documentation, physical inspections, and varying compliance requirements, factors that increase costs and delays for businesses. This was also discussed in the AfCFTA podcast by director of customs at AfCFTA, Demitta Gyang.
The involvement of Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited also points to a focus on leveraging African private-sector expertise to address these challenges. The Nigerian company works on digital solutions designed to streamline trade processes.
Trade economists have long argued that reducing non-tariff barriers, including inefficient customs procedures, could yield greater economic benefits for Africa than tariff reductions alone.
For the AfCFTA, establishing a unified approach to customs modernisation remains a significant undertaking given the diversity of systems and capacities across 54 countries.
If successful, the initiative could mark a turning point for intra-African trade, which currently accounts for only about 15% of the Africa’s total commerce, compared with roughly 60% in Europe and 50% in Asia.
The AfCFTA aims to eliminate tariffs on 90% of goods and address non-tariff barriers, with the customs modernisation project representing a key piece of the broader effort to create a single market for goods and services across Africa.
