The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has called for stronger collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), stressing the need to build a lasting partnership through a deeper understanding of each other’s challenges.
Adeniyi made this known on Thursday, 18 September 2025, when the Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadiri, led a delegation to the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja. He said both institutions must set a new agenda that goes beyond immediate concerns in order to strengthen long-term cooperation.
The Customs boss explained that enduring solutions could only emerge through clarity, commitment, and broader stakeholder engagement. He commended MAN’s structured consultative process, which involves debates across ten sectors and over sixty sub-sectors before final positions are harmonised by its Economic Policy Committee.
Highlighting ongoing initiatives to boost trade facilitation, Adeniyi listed the Authorised Economic Operator programme, Advanced Ruling, Corporate Social Responsibility framework, the indigenous B’Odogwu platform, and the creation of special desks. He also disclosed that preparations were underway for a major conference in November to engage stakeholders on the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“We are looking forward to a situation where we will set an agenda that goes beyond the issues on the ground,” Adeniyi said. He further assured MAN of Customs’ readiness to sustain dialogue, even offering to meet manufacturers at their Lagos base to fast-track discussions.
On his part, MAN Director-General Segun Ajayi-Kadiri described Customs as an indispensable partner in addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges. He welcomed the renewed engagement, saying: “Many developments in the economy require us to accelerate this engagement, expand it, and make it work.”
Ajayi-Kadiri also praised Adeniyi’s openness to ideas, stressing that MAN’s policy positions are carefully structured to reflect the realities faced by manufacturers nationwide. He noted that the association seeks to strengthen cooperation with Customs, not confrontation, particularly on issues affecting industries under pressure.
Discover more from Inside Abuja Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
