By Omolabake Cole
Lagos, Oct. 1, ’25 (TNZ) Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have stepped up collaboration to boost industrial growth, streamline trade processes, and position the country for greater economic competitiveness.
TheNewsZenith reports that the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Mr Bashir Adeniyi, announced tthis at MAN/NCS parley recently in Lagos.
Adeniyi described the meeting as a “deliberate and constructive platform”. It will help to align fiscal responsibilities with industrial growth imperatives.
According to the NCS boss, manufacturing remains the backbone of any modern economy. Its success is directly tied to the nation’s prosperity, he added.
“Your voices as manufacturers matter. Your experiences help us to understand how customs procedures can either enable or constrain manufacturing excellence.
“We must continue to build an ecosystem where customs is seen not as a stumbling block but as an enabler of growth,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss assured manufacturers that the NCS was already reviewing the Ministry of Finance’s recent directive on the suspension of the four per cent Free On Board (FOB) charge.
“We understand the concerns around the four per cent FOB charge. I assure you it is receiving attention.
“Whatever decision is taken will be in the best interest of trade facilitation, industrial growth, and national revenue stability,” TheNewsZenith quotes Adeniyi as stating.
He explained that the Customs under his watch had developed a framework for a “One-Stop-Shop” trade platform.
According to him, the platform is designed to revolutionise how manufacturers interact with customs and other regulatory agencies.
“This innovation will cut through layers of bureaucracy. Instead of running from office to office, manufacturers will have a single touchpoint to process their documentation.
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“It will also resolve bottlenecks and facilitate faster clearance of goods.
“This is how modern customs should operate,” he added.
He also announced that NCS had streamlined checkpoints on major highways to eliminate unnecessary delays.
Earlier, the President of MAN, Chuef Francis Meshioye, commended the NCS for what he called a “new spirit of partnership and openness” since Adeniyi assumed office in 2023.
Meshioye said the engagement was more than a meeting. “It is the revival of a longstanding commitment to collaboration,” he said.
“What we are having today is the enactment of that historic bond.
“It is a reaffirmation that dialogue remains the best way to resolve operational issues and shape inclusive policies that work for manufacturers and the economy at large,” TheNewsZenith quotes Mesioye as saying.
He noted that manufacturers had consistently raised concerns about high costs of doing business, inefficiencies at the ports, and challenges with customs procedures.
“We believe this collaboration will create an enabling environment where policies do not just look good on paper but work effectively in practice.
“Manufacturers want efficiency, predictability, and fairness, and we are glad that customs is listening,” he added.
The MAN president urged the NCS to institutionalise the MAN-Customs dialogue platform. He also urged NCS to deliver concrete results in areas such as digitalisation, transparency, and cost reduction. (TNZ)
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