NCS Advances Deal to Strengthen Trade Cooperation with UK’s HMRC

By Stella Okocha

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has engaged in advanced discussions to finalise a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA) and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom, to strengthen information sharing, compliance, and trade facilitation between the two countries.

Speaking during a high-level bilateral meeting with the HMRC delegation on Friday, 26 September 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, who was represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) of Customs in charge of the Strategic, Research and Policy Department, Nafi’u Isyaku, said the engagement was part of efforts to conclude negotiations on the agreement ahead of its proposed signing in December.

ACG Isyaku said the negotiations had been conducted virtually for about six months before the two sides decided to meet physically at the NCS headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, to finalise outstanding issues.

“The meeting is to finalise our Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA). We have been doing it virtually for some six months now. We decided to come here in person so that we can finalise the negotiations before the final signing, which hopefully is coming up in the first week of December during the World Customs Organisation Policy Commission meeting.”

Also speaking on the engagement, the Senior Policy Adviser at HMRC, Syed Moinuddin, described the meeting as an opportunity for both customs administrations to work through areas of cooperation and establish a framework that reflects the interests of the two authorities.

He said the engagement had provided an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the NCS and HMRC within the wider customs family.

Also speaking, the Head of Bilateral Relations and Agreements at HMRC, Louisa Bentley, said negotiations held over the two days had been successful and that both sides were close to finalising the agreement, adding that “The agreement would boost trade by improving compliance and information sharing between HMRC and the NCS, while also enhancing compliance and trade facilitation to both partners in global trade opportunities.”

She also commended the reforms being implemented by the NCS, following a tour of key facilities at the NCS headquarters, including the Trade Modernisation Project Limited office, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report office and Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network station, saying, “We have seen significant developments in technology and personnel training, adding that the reforms would support more modern and efficient trade processes.”

The bilateral meeting, which lasted from Thursday 25 to Friday 26 of September 2026, ended with a tour of key departments and units at the Customs headquarters, providing the HMRC delegation with an opportunity to see some of the reforms and operational developments being implemented by the NCS.