President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed strong support for a $3.1 billion customs modernisation project under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), describing the initiative as a major step towards improving trade, boosting economic growth and deepening regional integration across Africa.
The President gave the endorsement during a courtesy visit by Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu, a trade, revenue and security strategist whose company, Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, secured a 20-year concession agreement with the AfCFTA Secretariat to implement the project.
The agreement, which is being executed in partnership with AfriTrade CMP Limited, covers all 55 member states of the African Continental Free Trade Area and is aimed at modernising customs operations, strengthening border management and improving trade facilitation across the continent.
According to a statement issued by the company, Tinubu commended Ahmadu and his team for developing and driving a project that aligns with Africa’s broader economic integration objectives.
The President noted that efficient customs administration remains a critical component of successful regional trade, adding that modern systems are necessary to reduce bottlenecks, improve revenue generation and enhance the movement of goods across borders.
Tinubu described the project as transformative, stressing that it has the potential to unlock economic opportunities, encourage investment and strengthen intra-African trade under the AfCFTA framework.
The African Continental Free Trade Area is one of the flagship programmes of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and is designed to create a single continental market for goods and services. Stakeholders believe that effective customs modernisation will be essential to achieving the goals of the agreement.
The project is expected to build on Bergmans’ previous experience in customs modernisation, particularly its involvement in the Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation Project.
Tinubu also praised the company’s contributions to Nigeria’s trade and revenue ecosystem, noting that its work has supported trade facilitation, border security and revenue protection initiatives.
Analysts say the successful implementation of the project could significantly improve customs efficiency, reduce delays at borders and strengthen Africa’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.
