How Nigeria and Africa can gain from Nigeria’s WCO Council Chairmanship

Nigeria and the rest of Africa have been counselled to utilize the inherent advantages in Nigeria’s Chairmanship of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council to transform their Customs administrations.

“Our chairmanship of the WCO is not a medal to display. It is a lever for transformation,” said Fwdr (Dr.) Eugene Nweke, Head of Research, Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC), in a lecture on Nigeria’s Chairmanship of WCO Council: The Impact on Nation’s Economy.

Eugene Nweke, who is also the Secretary of Customs Consultative Council, delivered the lecture at the seminar organized by the League of Maritime Editors (LOME) in Apapa on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, was elected the WCO Council Chairman on July 1, 2025.

The lecturer noted that Nigeria got the WCO Council Chairman because of various reforms initiated by the administration of Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi.

“Before chairmanship position beckoned, came reforms,” said Nweke, listing the reforms thus:
Time Release Study (TRS): Measured real clearance times at ports. Identified bottlenecks. Offered solutions to reduce dwell time.

Data Analytics: Shifted Customs from intuition to intelligence. Risk-based inspections, fewer leakages.

Advance Ruling Application: Traders now get tariff & valuation clarity upfront. Cuts disputes, builds confidence.

Authorized Economic Operator (AEO): Trusted traders rewarded with faster clearance. Incentivises compliance, aligns with global best practice.

B’Odogwu Platform (migration from NICIS): An integrated single-window environment. Seamless, digital, transparent.

Acquisition of Rapid Scanners: Faster, non-intrusive inspections. Enhances both facilitation and border security.

“Together, these reforms form a foundation. They are the springboard for our WCO chairmanship,” said he.

On what the chairmanship position means for the African Continental Free Trade Agreements – AfCFTA implementation, Nweke said “It will further accelerate the harmonization of customs procedures, mutual recognition of AEOs across Africa, enthrone data standards that reduce friction, Time Release Study models to cut delays, and Nigerian ports positioned as regional trade hubs.

“However, the actualisation of this amounts to leadership with practical outcomes,” said he.

While acknowledging the gains from this WCO Council Chairmanship, the lecturer also listed the challenges that port and customs administrations in Nigeria and Africa are currently facing.

The challenges are infrastructure deficits – ports, roads, ICT, policy inconsistency,  bureaucratic bottlenecks and Business Unusual.

“Fellow compatriots, this chairmanship is not 100% perfection prone and inherent benefits may erode us, if we don’t discipline ourselves at home. On this note, while the officers and men of the Service are in the eyes of the sun (the world), government has a duty to respect and support the chairman with deserving attentions,” warned Nweke, who was once the National President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).

On the way forward, the lecturer said Nigeria must seize this moment to institutionalize data sharing across Customs, NPA, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and other regulatory agencies, thus, propagating and maximizing the benefits of responsible partnership/collaboration.

Nigeria must also scale the AEO programme regionally and sustain enlightenment program in this regards, complete the B’Odogwu migration with trader safeguards and squarely tackle all migration glitches before the year runs out, sustain scanner investments through PPPs and audit and benchmark performance regularly.

“Our chairmanship of the WCO is not a medal to display. It is a lever for transformation. If we consolidate reforms, harness AfCFTA, protect transparency, enthrone predictability and compliance in our transactions, redefine and sustain fiscal policies, Nigeria will not only lead Africa in customs administration and operations, but; she will stand as a continental beacon of trade and industrialization,” said he.