President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, August 25, endorsed the $3.1 billion African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) customs modernisation project, describing it as transformative and capable of accelerating economic growth and trade across Africa.
Tinubu gave the endorsement during a meeting with Saleh Ahmadu, a trade, revenue and security strategist whose company, Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, secured a 20-year concession agreement with the AfCFTA secretariat to implement the project.
The agreement, executed in partnership with AfriTrade CMP Limited, covers all 55 member states of the continental trade bloc and is aimed at modernising customs operations and strengthening trade facilitation across Africa.
According to a statement by the company, Tinubu commended Ahmadu for designing and leading the execution of the concession and stressed the importance of efficient customs systems to the success of AfCFTA and Africa’s economic integration agenda.
The president said the project could accelerate economic growth while improving trade and the movement of goods among African countries.
Tinubu also commended Ahmadu and Bergmans for their contributions to Nigeria’s trade and revenue ecosystem, saying their efforts had supported developments across the trade value chain while strengthening the country’s capacity in trade facilitation, border security and revenue protection.
The $3.1 billion concession is expected to build on Bergmans’ experience in customs modernisation in Nigeria, particularly its involvement in the Nigeria Customs service modernisation project.
Its continental expansion is expected to place customs modernisation at the centre of efforts to improve the movement of goods, facilitate cross-border commerce and strengthen intra-African trade.
The 20-year concession covers all 55 AfCFTA member states and is expected to support efforts to modernise customs systems, improve revenue administration and enhance the efficiency of trade across the continent.
The AfCFTA is a flagship project of the African Union’s agenda 2063, the continent’s long-term development framework. It was established to accelerate intra-African trade, strengthen Africa’s position in global markets and provide a common framework for trade negotiations.
The agreement emerged from a decision adopted by African leaders at the 18th ordinary session of the assembly of heads of state and government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2012.
Ahmadu’s experience in the sector spans about four decades, during which he has worked as a security consultant and systems acquisition specialist across aviation, national security, cybersecurity and intelligence.
Beyond security consultancy, he has established businesses across various sectors, contributing to employment generation and economic activity in Nigeria.
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