CGC Adeniyi Champions 'Nigeria First' Policy to Drive Trade and Security at UNIFEMGA Conference
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has called for a nationwide embrace of the “Nigeria First” initiative to strengthen cross-border trade and national security. Adeniyi made the call on Saturday, May 10, 2025, while delivering a keynote address at the annual conference of the Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates’ Association (UNIFEMGA), held in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Speaking on the theme “Cross-Border Trade and Security Implications on the Nigerian Economy: Taking Advantage of Global Trade Dynamics”, the CGC highlighted the delicate balance between facilitating trade and ensuring national security. He revealed that Nigeria recorded a trade value of ₦196.94 trillion in 2024—an impressive 179.3% increase over the previous year—despite ongoing security threats across key borders.
“Nigeria's economic prosperity hinges delicately on our ability to strike an optimal balance between security imperatives and trade facilitation,” Adeniyi stated.
According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service collected a record ₦6.1 trillion in revenue in 2024, surpassing its target by 20.2%. He described this performance as evidence of the Service’s resilience and ability to innovate within a challenging operational landscape.
The Customs boss offered a regional breakdown of security challenges and their trade implications. In the Northeast, insurgency continues to hinder major trade routes, but international collaborations such as the WCO’s Project Securité par Collaboration (SPC++) have offered new frameworks tailored to conflict zones.
In the Northwest, banditry and kidnapping have stalled mining activities, while cattle rustling has weakened the livestock value chain and affected related sectors such as meat processing and leatherwork. The Southeast, he noted, has suffered significant economic disruptions due to separatist agitations, particularly impacting the manufacturing hubs of Aba, Onitsha, and Nnewi.
Adeniyi also drew attention to smuggling activities in the Southwest, disclosing that contraband worth ₦35.29 billion was intercepted in 2024, with an additional ₦7.7 billion seized in the first quarter of 2025 alone. These threats, he said, necessitate a shift from reactive policing to proactive strategic engagement.
“These regional security challenges present Nigeria with a choice: remain trapped in a cycle of reactive responses or transform our hard-earned expertise into strategic advantage within the AfCFTA framework,” he asserted.
Adeniyi stated that the “Nigeria First” initiative is already in action within the Customs Service. One such effort includes the exclusive procurement of operational vehicles from Nigerian automobile assembly plants—part of a broader strategy to boost local industries and reduce foreign exchange outflow.
He further unveiled a comprehensive three-tier roadmap for securing and modernising Nigeria’s borders. Immediate efforts include the upgrade of key border posts such as Seme-Krake (Benin), Jibia-Maradi (Niger), and Mfum-Ekok (Cameroon). Medium-term plans focus on establishing secure trade corridors with surveillance and rapid-response capabilities, while the long-term vision involves developing Special Economic Zones in border communities to encourage investment and job creation.
Addressing global trade disruptions, Adeniyi cited the recent 14% reciprocal tariff imposed by the United States on Nigerian non-oil exports as a clear signal for the country to diversify its markets. He urged stakeholders to seize the $3.4 trillion African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opportunity and adopt innovations like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which facilitates intra-African trade using local currencies.
“Through systematic application of these principles, Nigeria can establish itself as the secure gateway to West African markets, leveraging security investments to strengthen our economic position in regional and global trade,” he concluded.
The event was graced by notable dignitaries, including the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; and the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire.
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