AWC ECONOMY AND TRADE DESK, AUGUST 2026
Nigeria is exporting more than commodities — it is now exporting a home-grown customs modernisation model. The AfCFTA Secretariat and Nigerian firm Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited have signed a 20-year, US$3.1 billion concession agreement to modernise customs systems across participating African countries.
The project will deploy digital customs platforms, electronic cargo tracking, non-intrusive inspection technology, integrated data centres, multilingual portals, risk-management systems and One-Stop Border Posts — aimed at reducing border delays, improving transparency, protecting government revenue and making intra-African trade faster and more predictable. About 50 countries have already indicated participation.
What makes this particularly significant for Nigeria is that the Nigeria Customs modernisation experience is being presented as the model for the continental project. The ICRC describes it as a major shift in Nigeria’s position from importing infrastructure solutions to exporting an indigenous solution developed and proven in Nigeria.
This could become one of the most consequential practical steps towards turning AfCFTA from an agreement on paper into a truly connected African marketplace.
#AfCFTA #MadeInNigeria #CustomsModernisation #AfricanTrade #NigeriaToTheWorld
