The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) to strengthen bilateral ties aimed at fostering economic growth.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Customs spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, this significant achievement occurred during a visit to Shenzhen, China, led by the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Adewale Adeniyi, and some members of his management team.
Emphasizing the importance of establishing bilateral relations with China, CGC Adeniyi noted that this collaboration would enhance import-export operations between the two countries and benefit the businesses of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.
The CGC commended the Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Lingjun, for expressing interest in signing the MoU with the NCS. He also praised the significant growth of e-commerce, stating, “We are aware that many Nigerian companies and SMEs leverage e-commerce opportunities.”
Adeniyi expressed confidence that the Memorandum of Understanding between the NCS and GACC would play a crucial role in strengthening cooperative security and trade relations between the Customs agencies of both nations.
“The relationship will create a cooperative mechanism for NCS and the GACC to collaborate on supply chain security standards and enhance the economic stability of both nations.”
“These are some of the many reasons why Nigeria Customs Service pays attention to what is happening in China. As you have said, China is making the biggest trade in Nigeria, and the basic context of International Trade is your export is our import. I appreciate the numbers that you gain in Nigeria. But it is also common knowledge that those numbers sometimes must take account of the large volume of informal trade that exists between us.” CGC Adeniyi said.
Mr. Wang Lingjun, representing Vice Minister Sun Yuning, signed the MoU on behalf of the People’s Republic of China. He expressed contentment with CGC Adeniyi’s vision, stating that the partnership between the two agencies would provide a platform for exploring opportunities in various economic and trade facilitation areas that Nigeria and China have in common.
