Nigeria, Netherlands Sign Customs Alliance on Trade Facilitation, Border Security

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Netherlands Customs Administration have signed a Joint Declaration aimed at deepening collaboration in trade facilitation, border security, capacity building, intelligence sharing, and efforts to combat transnational organised crime.

According to a statement signed on Thursday, 25 June 2026 by the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, the declaration was signed on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, in Brussels by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, and the Director-General of Netherlands Customs, Mrs. Nanette van Schelven.

Maiwada noted that the development followed a series of high-level engagements aimed at advancing customs modernisation, compliance management, and enforcement cooperation.

It also builds on the Service’s bilateral working visit to the Netherlands in October 2025 and the subsequent visit of the Netherlands Customs delegation to Nigeria in March 2026.

During the engagements, both administrations explored opportunities for cooperation in risk management, cargo clearance systems, trade facilitation, border control, supply chain security, capacity development, and the fight against illicit trade.

In the Joint Declaration, both parties acknowledged Nigeria’s strategic position as one of West Africa’s leading economies and a key trading partner of the Netherlands. They also recognised that stronger customs cooperation and institutional capacity-building are essential to facilitating legitimate trade while combating illegal cross-border activities.

The declaration further highlighted growing concerns over the trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, counterfeit goods, wildlife products, and weapons, noting that such threats require coordinated international responses.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi stated that Netherlands Customs has demonstrated the immense value of international cooperation in addressing emerging trade and border management challenges.

He noted that the partnership would strengthen intelligence sharing, enhance capacity building, improve enforcement effectiveness, and support collective efforts to secure international supply chains while facilitating legitimate trade.

Adeniyi described the declaration as a significant milestone in the Service’s international cooperation agenda and a reflection of the strong relationship built between the two customs administrations over the years.

Also speaking, the Director-General of Netherlands Customs, Mrs. Nanette van Schelven, said both administrations face similar challenges in an increasingly interconnected global trading environment. She noted that closer collaboration would promote mutual learning, strengthen operational capabilities, and improve efforts to tackle transnational organised crime while supporting efficient and transparent trade processes.

The declaration commits both parties to deepening collaboration through the exchange of expertise, training, knowledge sharing, and the development of structured cooperation frameworks.

It also provides a foundation for a joint work plan and future cooperation mechanisms aimed at enhancing border efficiency, promoting fair trade practices, strengthening supply chain security, and addressing challenges associated with both legal and illegal cross-border movement of goods.