UK Visit Exposes Customs Data Gap in Nigeria – UK TradE
AWC MDA Desk
London, March 18, 2026 — As The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the United Kingdom’s HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) deepen strategic cooperation on trade and digital border management, a key issue highlighted during the meeting was the discrepancy in bilateral trade data.
While Nigeria recorded approximately £504 million in UK-origin imports in 2024, the United Kingdom reported exports to Nigeria worth about £1.7 billion within the same period.
This might imply under declaration on the part of trade data documentation on the side of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS.
To bridge this gap, both sides agreed to explore a structured pre-arrival data exchange system between their digital customs platforms to enhance risk management, improve data reconciliation, and strengthen compliance.
In any case, the NCS and the United Kingdom’s HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are working on strengthening strategic cooperation aimed at advancing trade facilitation and digital border management between both countries.
The development followed a high-level bilateral meeting held in London on the margins of the State Visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the framework of the Nigeria–United Kingdom Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP).
The engagement was led by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and Ms. Megan Shaw, Head of International Customs and Border Engagement at HMRC.
Discussions focused on Customs modernisation, improving transparency in bilateral trade data, and enhancing operational collaboration to boost efficiency and integrity across the Nigeria–UK trade corridor.
Adeniyi emphasised that effective customs cooperation remains central to economic growth and sustainable trade, noting the long-standing commercial relationship between both nations across sectors such as agriculture, energy, industrial goods, and consumer products.
Both administrations also showcased their modernisation efforts, with HMRC presenting advancements in artificial intelligence-driven trade tools, digital verification systems, and real-time analytics.
The discussions underscored the importance of deeper collaboration in technology deployment and digital border systems.
Key outcomes of the meeting include plans to establish a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Framework, initiate technical scoping for capacity building and knowledge exchange, and set up a joint technical engagement mechanism under the ETIP framework.
The NCS reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening international partnerships as part of its broader reform agenda, aimed at promoting transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness in Nigeria’s trade environment, in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope programme.
