By Stephen Ubanna
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, appears to be doing everything within his powers as the Comptroller General of the Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs, NCS, over the last two years appears to have strengthened international enforcement alliances with other member countries of the World Customs Organizations in Customs matters.
From the West and Central African subregions to Canada, the story is the same: improved Cooperation. Only recently, CGC Adeni, led NCS, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance on Customs Matters with Belarus, a landlocked country of the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR, bordered by Russian Federation, Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland.
The agreement was said to have been concluded on Friday, June 17, 2025, at the WCO, ongoing 145th/146th Sessions in Brussels, Belgium. Abdullahi Maiwada, an Assistant Comptroller and the Customs spokesperson, had said that the MoU was signed by Adeniyi, the Customs Comptroller General on behalf of the NCS, while Vladimir Orlovsky, Chairman of the state Committee, signed on behalf of the Belarius Government.
An elated Adeniyi, who could not his feelings had described the agreement with Belarius Customs as ‘’a strategic tool to expand the Service’s global Customs diplomacy and reform blueprint, particularly in the area of information exchange, joint enforcement and capacity building’’.
He was emphatic: We are forging a new chapter in international Cooperation, one rooted in mutual trust, operational efficiency and proactive intelligence. The CGC was said to have further stated that the partnership with the former USSR, Independent Republic, will strengthen the Service’s ability ‘’to combat transnational treats, facilitate secure trade and modernize procedures in line with global best practices’’.
Giving an insider information, the CGC, disclosed that the agreement provides a legal framework for mutual administrative assistance in areas ranging from revenue protection, accurate Classification and Valuation of imported goods, enforcement of law on prohibited goods at the nation’s seaports and Land border stations across the country.
This is in addition to executing’’ joint operations targeting smuggling activities and Customs fraud’’. The CGC, noted that that the agreement that had been signed with the Est European country is underpinned by core international instruments such as ‘’the Single Convention Narcotic Drugs 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971, the CITES Convention and the 1953 WCO Recommendation on Mutual Administrative Assistance.
The Osun state born Comptroller General of NCS, who could not hide his feelings had said the agreement with the state of Belarus Customs ‘’reflects the increasing adoption of an intelligence-led enforcement model’’, consistent with the Service under his Leadership goal of ‘’repositioning Nigeria as a hub of innovative and compliant African Customs Operations’’.
He noted that beyond enforcement, ‘’the agreement is also a framework for learning, innovation, and solidarity among various Customs Administrations’’ globally. Nigeria is proud to stand alongside Belarious in advancing collaborative Customs solutions that would correct the nation’s borders with neighbouring countries of Republic of Benin, Niger, Tchad and the Central African country of Cameroun and promote Legitimate trade.
Orlovsky, the Chairman of the State of Belarus Customs Committee, may have used the opportunity provided by the signing of an MOU, with the NCS, to comment CGC Adeniyi led Management Team for embracing international partnerships ‘’to tackle common Customs challenges. ‘’We look forward to fruitful exchanges of information and shared implementation’’, he had said.
The Belarus Customs Committee Chairman, had said that the MOU, between the two countries Customs Administrations would establish ‘’the foundation for strategic engagement between them’’. He had alluded to the fact that ‘’the shared values in safeguarding trade and combating illicit trade will be the bedrock of this relationship’’.
AC. Maiwada, the Customs spokesperson who is privy to the signing of the agreement, had said that the parties are expected ‘’to collaborate in joint investigations, training and the application of control procedures in accordance with their national Laws.
