President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated the maiden Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Summit in Abuja, urging African nations to modernise Customs systems, remove inefficient borders, and adopt a unified trade framework to unlock the continent’s economic potential. Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President emphasised that Africa’s prosperity depends on turning its large markets and population into a functional, integrated economic bloc.

Vice President Shettima highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing reforms including exchange rate unification, fuel subsidy removal, port modernisation, and Customs digitalisation as measures to create a trade-friendly environment. He announced that Nigeria’s National Single Window, set to launch in March 2026, will reduce cargo clearance times from 21 days to under seven, fully aligning the country with AfCFTA’s digital trade standards. Shettima stressed that integration cannot be declared but must be engineered through coordinated policies, technology adoption, and strong political will.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said C-PACT will strengthen cooperation among African Customs administrations, the private sector, and international partners, focusing on rules of origin, preferential duties, and trade facilitation. Thirty African Customs administrations, including 22 at Director-General level, are participating. International partners, including the World Customs Organisation, AfreximBank, and AfCFTA Secretariat, emphasised that efficient Customs systems are essential to reduce trade costs, cut bureaucratic delays, boost intra-African trade, and position Africa as a competitive player in the global economy.