Nigeria Customs Advances AfCFTA Simplified Trade Regime to Boost Small Businesses
Nigeria Customs Service partners AfCFTA Secretariat to implement simplified trade regime, aiming to ease cross-border trade for MSMEs and boost regional integration
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Simplified Trade Regime (STR), aimed at easing cross-border trade for small-scale traders and businesses.
This follows a strategic engagement between the NCS and a delegation from the AfCFTA Secretariat at the Service’s headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, where both parties reviewed frameworks for improving trade facilitation.
Speaking during the meeting, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, reiterated the Service’s commitment to creating a more transparent and business-friendly customs process. She noted that the initiative is designed to simplify procedures while ensuring compliance with existing regulations.
According to her, the goal is to make cross-border trade more accessible and inclusive, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which play a critical role in economic growth.
On his part, AfCFTA representative Pedro Estevao described Nigeria’s emergence as the pilot country for the STR in West Africa as strategic, citing the country’s large market size as a key driver for regional trade expansion.
During the session, the NCS presented a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) addressing key aspects of informal trade, passenger baggage, and low-value e-commerce transactions. The framework also incorporates digital declaration systems and risk-based assessment mechanisms to streamline clearance processes.
AfCFTA consultant Nabil Zibani highlighted the importance of creating user-friendly systems that would enable small traders to participate effectively in continental trade, stressing that accessibility remains central to the success of the initiative.
Both parties identified areas of alignment, including simplified documentation, digital processing, and the introduction of thresholds for low-value goods, alongside targeted support for women-led enterprises and MSMEs.
They agreed to sustain technical engagements to refine operational strategies, address emerging challenges, and ensure that Nigeria’s implementation framework aligns with AfCFTA guidelines.
The development reinforces Nigeria’s role in piloting the STR and underscores ongoing efforts by the Customs Service to promote legitimate trade, strengthen regional integration, and expand economic opportunities for small businesses.