TINUBU ENDORSES $3.1BN AFCFTA CUSTOMS MODERNISATION PROJECT

President Bola Tinubu has thrown his weight behind a $3.1 billion customs modernisation project under the African Continental Free Trade Area, describing the initiative as a transformative investment capable of improving trade and accelerating economic growth across Africa.

The President expressed his support during a courtesy visit by Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu, chairman of Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, whose company signed a 20-year concession agreement with the AfCFTA Secretariat to implement the project. The initiative will be executed through Bergmans’ subsidiary, AfriTrade CMP Limited.

The project is designed to modernise customs operations across participating African countries through the deployment of digital customs platforms, electronic cargo-tracking systems, non-intrusive inspection technology and integrated data infrastructure. The objective is to make the movement of goods across African borders faster, more efficient and more transparent.

The agreement covers the 55 member states of AfCFTA, placing the initiative at the centre of efforts to strengthen intra-African trade and support the continent’s single-market ambitions. The project is expected to reduce border bottlenecks, improve revenue collection and make customs procedures more efficient for businesses involved in cross-border trade.

Tinubu also commended Ahmadu and Bergmans for their contribution to Nigeria’s customs and trade modernisation efforts. The project builds on Nigeria’s experience with its own customs modernisation programme, with the country’s public-private partnership model now being adopted as a template for the wider continental initiative.

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has described the development as a major validation of Nigeria’s home-grown PPP framework. According to the commission, the Nigerian customs system, including the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System, has demonstrated that locally developed technology and private-sector expertise can be deployed to support large-scale public infrastructure and revenue reforms.

The project is therefore expected to position Nigeria and other participating African countries to benefit from more efficient customs administration while supporting the broader objectives of AfCFTA, which seeks to increase trade among African nations, strengthen regional economic integration and improve Africa’s position in global commerce.