Nigeria and UK Discuss Trade Deal

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the UK's His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are having serious talks about a trade deal.

This follows a major meeting between the two sides. The HMRC team was led by Syed Moinuddin, their Policy Adviser, at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.

NCS Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, shared details of the meeting with reporters in Abuja on Sunday.

Mr Maiwada said the goal was to finalize a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA). This agreement aims to improve information sharing, compliance, and trade support between Nigeria and the UK.

NCS Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi noted that this meeting is part of efforts to wrap up the talks before signing the agreement in December. He was represented by Nafi’u Isyaku, the assistant comptroller-general in charge of the Strategic, Research and Policy Department.

Mr Adeniyi explained that they had been discussing the agreement online for about six months. Now, they chose to meet in person at NCS headquarters to settle any remaining issues.

“We decided to come here in person so that we can finalize the negotiations before the final signing, which hopefully is coming up in the first week of December during the World Customs Organisation Policy Commission meeting,” he said.

HMRC's Syed Moinuddin said the meeting was a chance for both customs departments to discuss areas of cooperation and build a framework that suits both sides.

He added that the engagement helped to strengthen the bond between the NCS and HMRC within the broader customs community.

Louisa Bentley, who leads bilateral relations and agreements at HMRC, also spoke. She said the talks over the two days had been fruitful, and they are close to finalizing the agreement.

Ms Bentley mentioned that the agreement would boost trade by improving compliance and information sharing between HMRC and NCS. It will also enhance trade support for both partners in global trade.

She praised the changes and improvements she saw during a tour of key NCS facilities. These included the Trade Modernisation Project Limited office, the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report office, and the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network station.

“We have seen significant developments in technology and training for personnel. These reforms will support more modern and efficient trade processes,” she said.

The two-day meeting wrapped up with a tour of important Customs departments. This showcased the NCS reforms and operational progress to the HMRC team.