The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has facilitated Nigeria's first shipment to Kenya under the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), with Lucky Fibres, a subsidiary of the Tolaram Group, making its first shipment.
During a visit to the Apapa Area Command on Wednesday, last week to ensure proper documentation and verification of the shipment, Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Lead of Trade Enablement at the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, noted that the shipment from Nigeria to Kenya, specifically to the port of Mombasa, demonstrates the collaborative spirit of AfCFTA.
"It is not that we are doing it alone; I have already sent a message to the Secretariat in Ghana that there will be a shipment under AfCFTA to Kenya. I have also communicated with the AfCFTA implementation committee in Kenya. So this is the spirit we are building to ensure that we increase intra-African trade," Olutayo noted.
He emphasised the critical role of the service as the Designated Competent Authority (DCA) under AfCFTA, leveraging its expertise to ensure seamless trade.
"The Nigeria Customs Service has been fantastic; they are ready to facilitate trade. Once they hear that there is an issue, particularly around AfCFTA, you will see everybody ready to support and facilitate it, which is the essence of true trade facilitation."
