Border security: Customs to host C-pact 2026 confab for African trade integration
By Uzor Odigbo
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to host the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference from 7 to 8 December 2026 and the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) 2026 Conference from 9 to 11 December 2026 in Abuja.
This is part of its commitment to strengthening border security, facilitating legitimate trade and advancing regional economic integration.
The CGC’s Conference, themed “Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities,” will provide a platform to review the Service’s modernisation efforts, assess progress against previous commitments, and reinforce the relationship between effective Customs administration, national security, and trade facilitation. C-PACT 2026, themed “One Border, Interconnected Systems:
Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts,” will extend these discussions to the continental level, focusing on practical approaches to coordinated border management and digital connectivity across Africa.
The CGC’s Conference will bring together relevant government officials, Customs leadership, trade stakeholders and institutional partners to examine the Service’s progress in implementing modernisation and trade facilitation reforms.
Under the sub-themes: “Enabling African Trade: Digital Customs, Trusted Corridors and Seamless Payments” and “Secure Borders, Safer Communities:
Intelligence, Partnership and Trust at the Frontline,” the programme will also review commitments made in 2025 and results achieved in 2026, as well as feature presentations on Customs modernisation, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificate presentation, and discussions on measuring the impact of reforms on trade and revenue.
The conference will examine intelligence-led enforcement, emerging border threats, inter-agency collaboration, and officers’ professional responsibilities in protecting communities and maintaining public trust.
Also, a major component of the CGC Conference will be the examination of how digital transformation and stakeholder partnerships are improving Customs operations.
Discussions will give stakeholders, including AEO beneficiaries, the National Single Window Secretariat, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), excise-sector representatives, and other relevant institutions, an opportunity to assess reform outcomes and identify areas for further improvement.
The second day of the conference will focus on coordinated responses to converging border threats, bringing together relevant security and enforcement institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the NCS, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
