In line with its commitment to enhancing international customs cooperation and advancing trade facilitation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has deepened its strategic engagement with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom. This development followed a high-level bilateral meeting in London on 18 March 2026, held under the Nigeria–United Kingdom Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), during the State Visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to the UK.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, and Ms. Megan Shaw, Head of International Customs and Border Engagement at HMRC, led the discussions. Key areas of focus included customs modernisation, strengthening transparency in bilateral trade flows, and expanding operational cooperation to improve efficiency and integrity across the Nigeria–UK trade corridor.
The Comptroller-General emphasised that effective customs cooperation is a critical enabler of economic growth and sustainable trade. He noted that Nigeria and the UK share a long-standing economic relationship across sectors such as industrial goods, agriculture, energy, and consumer products. Customs administrations, he stressed, play a frontline role in ensuring that trade flows remain transparent, secure, and mutually beneficial.
Both administrations acknowledged discrepancies in bilateral trade data. For instance, Nigeria recorded imports of UK-origin goods worth approximately £504 million in 2024, while the UK reported exports to Nigeria valued at £1.7 billion for the same period. To address this gap, both parties agreed to explore a structured pre-arrival data exchange framework between their digital customs platforms. This initiative aims to enhance risk management, improve data reconciliation, and strengthen compliance monitoring.
The engagement also provided a platform to showcase respective customs modernisation programmes. HMRC highlighted advancements in artificial intelligence-driven trade tools, digital verification systems, and real-time analytics. Discussions underscored the importance of deeper collaboration in technology deployment and digital border management. Key outcomes included development of a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Framework,
commencement of technical scoping for capacity-building and knowledge exchange, and establishment of a joint technical engagement mechanism under the ETIP framework.
The NCS reaffirmed its commitment to deepening international partnerships as part of its broader modernisation agenda. It assured stakeholders that insights from this engagement will strengthen operational capacity, enhance trade facilitation, and support Nigeria’s economic reform objectives under the Renewed Hope programme.