Nigeria and UK Customs Enhance Data Exchange for Trade

The Nigeria Customs Service and the UK customs authorities have deepened their collaboration on data exchange to enhance trade efficiency and compliance. This agreement was made during a high-level bilateral meeting held in London on a Wednesday, as part of President Bola Tinubu's state visit to the UK.

Abdullahi Maiwada, Deputy Controller of Customs, highlighted the commitment to advance international customs cooperation and improve risk management through a structured pre-arrival data exchange framework. The discussions also focused on addressing gaps in bilateral trade data, with statistics indicating that approximately $504 million worth of UK-origin goods are expected to be imported into Nigeria in 2024, while Nigeria's exports to the UK are valued at approximately $1.7 billion.

Adewal Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of Customs, emphasized the critical role of customs cooperation in enabling economic growth and sustaining trade development. The meeting underscored the importance of technological collaboration, including the deployment of advanced artificial intelligence-driven trade tools.