The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has facilitated the country’s first export to Kenya under the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA). Lucky Fibres, a subsidiary of Tolaram Group, made this milestone shipment to Kenya’s port of Mombasa.
Olusegun Olutayo, senior trade expert and lead of Trade Enablement at Nigeria’s AfCFTA Coordination Office, highlighted the collaboration with both the AfCFTA Secretariat in Ghana and Kenya’s implementation committee to ensure smooth documentation and verification for the shipment.
He noted this effort underscores AfCFTA’s mission to boost intra-African trade through cooperation. Olutayo emphasized Customs’ essential role as the Designated Competent Authority (DCA) under AfCFTA, commending the agency’s commitment to facilitating trade.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has been proactive; once there’s an AfCFTA-related issue, they mobilize to support and facilitate it, reflecting true trade facilitation,” he said.
Olusola Salako, assistant comptroller at the Lilypond Export Command, highlighted NCS’s advances in technology to ensure AfCFTA’s success, noting the agency’s adoption of a Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) and improved training for officers to streamline exports. Salako affirmed that NCS is prepared for AfCFTA and beyond with dedicated officers and designated ports supporting this export process.
