Nigeria Customs Service Seeks Stakeholder Collaboration for Successful AEO Programme Launch

Nigeria Customs Service Seeks Stakeholder Collaboration for Successful AEO Programme Launch

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has actively engaged stakeholders, seeking collaboration as it prepares to officially launch the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme.

At a sensitisation programme held in Lagos on Wednesday, 15 January 2025, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represented by Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG), Kingsley Egwuh, emphasised the critical role of collaboration between Customs and businesses in ensuring the programme’s success.

He stated that the pilot phase of the AEO programme, launched on 15 April 2024, involving six pilot beneficiaries across diverse sectors, underscores the inclusivity and wide-reaching impact the service aims to achieve.

ACG Egwuh explained that the pilot provided valuable insights into stakeholders’ needs and expectations, laying a solid foundation for the full implementation of the program. “These pilot companies said a lot about their benefits, improved clearance process, and cost-savings. The benefits outweigh the challenges, and the challenges are things we can take care of, especially when it comes to collaboration and coordination with other partner government agencies.”

The ACG assured stakeholders that the NCS is committed to addressing their concerns and ensuring a smooth and successful transition to the full implementation of the AEO programme.

He highlighted the importance of compliance and encouraged businesses to embrace the programme as a means to enhance their competitiveness and improve their overall trade performance. “Most companies will actually be admitted into this scheme by the time it is launched, but the onus rests on the company to be compliant. You have to self-audit; you don’t wait for customs to tell you what to do because you know the law, ” he said.

Stakeholders praised the NCS for its efforts in modernising trade facilitation and its commitment to enhancing transparency and predictability in the trading environment.

The AEO programme, designed to streamline trade procedures and enhance supply chain security, will officially launch on 14 February 2025.