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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to intensify its efforts through strengthened collaborations with international partners, in a stride towards fortifying national security and streamlining trade processes.
This strategic move underscores the NCS’s commitment to enhancing border security and fostering smoother trade facilitation by leveraging global expertise and cooperative initiatives.
Recently, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of Customs, (CGC) at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College Gwagwalada, announced the inauguration of a 5-day workshop on ‘Rules of Origin.’
Co-organized by the Alliance for Trade Facilitation, GIZ, and the World Customs Organization (WCO), the workshop aims to enhance officers’ expertise in trade facilitation.
The CGC, represented by Abdullahi Musa, Deputy Comptroller-General DCG welcomed WCO Experts to Nigeria, emphasizing the significance of their visit in preparation for the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
During the opening session, Musa highlighted the CGC’s commitment to collaborating with development partners for capacity-building.
He stressed the importance of the workshop in strengthening the Nigeria Customs Service, noting its role as the competent authority for issuing Certificates of Origin.
“Over the next five days, 25 officers will undergo intensive training on the Rules of Origin”, Musa said while declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Comptroller-General.
Mette Azzam, Lead origin expert for the WCO, expressed the workshop’s potential for collaboration between customs administration, WCO, and GIZ.
Azzam underscored the global importance of Rules of Origin knowledge, especially with the proliferation of Free Trade Agreements. Incorrect valuation of goods, she warned, could lead to unexpected duty payments.
Ibrahim Alfa, Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG), stressed the workshop’s significance in enhancing the Service’s efficiency in revenue generation.
Participants were urged to pay attention to the teachings, emphasizing the relevance of correctly determining preferential values to avoid erroneous duty payments.
The 5-day workshop, set to empower 25 officers through intensive training, discussions, and assessments on Rules of Origin, aligns with the Nigeria Customs Service’s collaboration with international partners.
The aim is to enhance officers’ expertise and contribute to the successful implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
