Nigeria, UK Move to Finalise Customs Cooperation Pact

. The Proposed Agreement is expected to Strengthen Customs Information Sharing, Compliance, and Trade Facilitation between both countries.

Nigeria and the United Kingdom have taken a decisive step towards finalising an agreement that would allow their customs administrations to exchange information and cooperate more closely on trade compliance.

Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom, advanced discussions to finalise a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA) at a two-day bilateral meeting held at the Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, from Thursday 24 to Friday, 25 September 2026.

The proposed agreement aimed at strengthening their information sharing, compliance, and trade facilitation.

The NCS said the agreement could be presented for signing in December 2026, subject to the outcome of the remaining negotiations.

Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi at the meeting, the Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) of Customs in charge of the Strategic, Research and Policy Department, Nafi’u Isyaku, noted that the engagement followed six months virtual negotiations between the two parties.

“Negotiations had been conducted virtually for about six months before the two sides decided to meet physically at the NCS headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, to finalise outstanding issues.

“The meeting is to finalise our Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA). We have been doing it virtually for some six months now.

“We decided to come here in person so that we can finalise the negotiations before the final signing, which hopefully is coming up in the first week of December during the World Customs Organisation Policy Commission meeting,” ACG Isyaku said.

Also, Senior Policy Adviser at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Syed Moinuddin, described the meeting as an opportunity for both customs administrations to work through areas of cooperation and establish a framework that reflects the interests of the two authorities.

He said the engagement had provided an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the NCS and HMRC within the wider customs family.

Similarly, Louisa Bentley, Head of Bilateral Relations and Agreements at HMRC, noted that negotiations held over the two days had been successful and that both sides were close to finalising the agreement, stressing the agreement would boost trade by improving compliance and information sharing between HMRC and the NCS.

“It will also enhance compliance and trade facilitation to both partners in global trade opportunities,” she said.

As part of the engagement, the HMRC officials tour key facilities at the NCS headquarters, including the Trade Modernisation Project Limited office, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report office and Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network station, commending the reforms deployed by the Service.

Bentley said, “We have seen significant developments in technology and personnel training, and we believe the reforms would support more modern and efficient trade processes”.

The visit formed part of the British delegation’s engagement with the NCS on technology, staff development and the service’s ongoing operational reforms.