Nigeria Customs, UK HMRC Close In on Deal to Boost Trade, Compliance

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have moved closer to concluding a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA) aimed at strengthening information sharing, compliance and trade facilitation between both countries.

The agreement is expected to provide a stronger framework for cooperation between the two customs administrations and support efforts to combat non-compliance while improving legitimate trade between Nigeria and the UK.

The Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of the Strategic, Research and Policy Department, Nafi’u Isyaku, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this during a high-level bilateral meeting with an HMRC delegation at the NCS headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday.

According to Isyaku, negotiations on the agreement had been conducted virtually for about six months before both sides met physically to resolve outstanding issues ahead of the proposed signing in December.

He said the agreement was expected to be finalised ahead of the World Customs Organisation Policy Commission meeting scheduled for the first week of December.

Senior Policy Adviser at HMRC, Syed Moinuddin, described the meeting as an opportunity for both customs administrations to deepen their relationship and develop a framework that reflects the interests of both authorities.

Also, Louisa Bentley, Head of Bilateral Relations and Agreements at HMRC, said the two-day negotiations were successful, with both sides now close to finalising the agreement.

Bentley said the deal would strengthen compliance and information sharing between HMRC and the NCS while supporting trade facilitation and enabling both countries to take advantage of global trade opportunities.

The HMRC delegation also commended ongoing reforms at the NCS following a tour of key facilities at the headquarters, including the Trade Modernisation Project Limited office, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report office and Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network station.

Bentley said the delegation had observed significant developments in technology and personnel training, noting that the reforms would contribute to more modern and efficient trade processes.

The bilateral engagement, which began on Thursday and ended on Friday, September 26, 2026, concluded with a tour of key departments and operational units at the Customs headquarters.