The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its efforts to promote transparency and accountability by deepening collaboration with the World Customs Organization under its Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme.
This followed a high-level meeting held on March 23, 2026, at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels, during an official visit by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who also chairs the WCO Council.
At the meeting, the A-CIP team provided updates on its ongoing collaboration with the NCS, focusing on integrity capacity-building initiatives, development of standard operating procedures, and plans for an integrity risk assessment exercise scheduled for 2026.
The team also outlined its strategic direction for Phase II of the programme (2026–2030), which aims to integrate integrity safeguards into automated customs systems, trade facilitation processes, and revenue administration.
The WCO team commended the NCS for its active participation in the integrity survey and its approval for the publication of the results, describing the move as a demonstration of strong institutional commitment to transparency.
Findings from the survey highlighted progress in ongoing reforms within the Service, including structured valuation review systems, enhanced post-clearance audit processes, and the implementation of the Voluntary Disclosure Framework under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to sustaining the partnership, noting that integrity remains a cornerstone for building public trust and strengthening the credibility of customs administrations in a rapidly evolving global trade environment.
Both parties agreed on key next steps, including publishing the survey results, establishing and training a dedicated implementation working group, and integrating the recommendations into NCS operations.
In a related engagement, the Comptroller-General also met with the WCO Secretary-General, Ian Saunders, and senior officials of the Secretariat to review ongoing activities of the Policy Commission and the WCO Council.
The renewed partnership signals the NCS’s continued alignment with international best practices as it advances reforms aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and service delivery.
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