By: Onifade Samuel
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has signed a 20-year, US$3.1 billion concession agreement with Nigerian firm Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited to modernise customs operations across participating African countries.
The agreement, announced in August 2026, will implement the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The project is designed to introduce modern digital and physical customs infrastructure, including electronic customs systems, secure data exchange, electronic cargo tracking, modern transit systems and improved border-management facilities.
According to the AfCFTA Secretariat, the initiative is aimed at reducing customs clearance times, strengthening revenue protection and making the movement of goods across African borders faster, safer and more predictable.
The project is also expected to harmonise customs procedures and improve coordination between national customs administrations, supporting the broader goal of creating a more integrated African market.
The agreement follows an earlier Memorandum of Understanding between AfCFTA and Bergmans and draws on Nigeria's experience with customs modernisation. Nigeria's Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has described the project as an adoption of a Nigerian-developed PPP model for wider African application.
The development represents a significant step in Africa's efforts to use digital technology to remove trade barriers and strengthen intra-African commerce under the AfCFTA framework.
Post a Comment