By Harriet Tornguvan
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reinforced its commitment to institutional integrity and global best practices through an enhanced partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO), earning commendation for its reform-driven initiatives.
This development followed a high-level engagement at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels on March 23, 2026, during a working visit by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who also serves as Chairperson of the WCO Council.
According to a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, the meeting provided an avenue for the WCO’s Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme team to brief the Comptroller-General on the progress of its collaboration with the NCS.
Key discussions focused on strengthening integrity capacity-building initiatives, developing integrity-based standard operating procedures, and plans to conduct a comprehensive integrity risk assessment in 2026. The A-CIP team also outlined its strategic priorities under Phase II of the programme (2026–2030), which will prioritise embedding integrity safeguards into automated customs systems, trade facilitation frameworks, and revenue administration processes.
The WCO team commended the NCS for its active participation in its integrity survey and for approving the release of the survey results, describing the move as a strong demonstration of transparency and accountability.
The survey outcomes highlighted the positive impact of ongoing reforms within the Service, including improved valuation review mechanisms, strengthened post-clearance audit processes, and the implementation of the Voluntary Disclosure Framework under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi expressed appreciation to the A-CIP team for its continued support, reaffirming the Service’s resolve to sustain and deepen the collaboration.
Both parties underscored the importance of institutional integrity as a cornerstone for building public trust and enhancing the credibility of customs administrations, particularly in the face of evolving global trade dynamics.
As part of next steps, the NCS and the WCO agreed on a set of forward-looking measures, including the publication of the integrity survey results, the establishment and training of a dedicated implementation working group, and the integration of survey recommendations into the Service’s operational processes.
In a related development, the Comptroller-General also held a strategic meeting with the WCO Secretary-General, Ian Saunders, alongside other senior officials of the organisation, where both sides reviewed ongoing activities of the Policy Commission and the WCO Council.
