SEREC Sets Agenda For Customs CG Aftermath WCO Election

The Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has listed some benefits that should follow the election of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council.

In a statement released on Tuesday by SEREC Head of Research, Fwdr. Eugene Nweke, the emergence of the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi as the new Chairperson of the WCO Council is indeed one that entails an intelligent, pragmatic, and strategic thinker, capping this up with his leadership at the NCS, which makes the Customs CG an administrator extraordinary.

The SEREC statement reads: “It is on the basis of this new role that the SEREC wishes to review the inherent benefits of the appointment and offer sincere professional advice to guide the CGC cum Chairperson.

“In this regard, SEREC hereby submits that, as the Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council, Nigeria can leverage this position to enhance its operations in several ways:

(i) Influence Global Customs Policies: With Chairperson Adeniyi at the helm, Nigeria can shape global customs discourse, particularly on issues like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), combating illicit trade, and enhancing digital border management.

(ii) Drive Customs Innovation: Nigeria can drive customs innovation that supports global supply chain resilience, promoting uniformity, modernization, and global best practices among customs administrations.

(iii) Promote African Interests: As the first Nigerian to hold this position, Chairperson Adeniyi can advocate for developing economies, particularly within Africa and the Global South, ensuring their concerns are addressed in global customs policymaking.

(iv) Strengthen International Partnerships: This position can foster stronger international partnerships, enabling Nigeria to learn from best practices worldwide and attract foreign investment.

Recalling the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi’s management policy thrusts, which include:

Trade Facilitation: The CGC has emphasized the importance of trade facilitation, which involves simplifying and streamlining customs procedures to reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency.

Revenue Optimization: The CGC’s focus on revenue optimization aligns with the advice to monitor and address inflationary trends, ensuring that customs policies promote economic growth and stability.

Digital Transformation: The CGC’s commitment to digital transformation can help support trade facilitation and foster a favorable business environment, promoting economic growth and investment.

Stakeholder Engagement: The CGC’s engagement with stakeholders, including businesses and industry associations, can help foster a favorable business environment and promote economic growth.

In aligning these policy thrusts with broader economic implications, SEREC urges the CGC to focus on ensuring that:

– The manufacturing and exporting sectors are flourishing

– Cargo throughput is increasing

– Current inflationary trends in the country are addressed

To achieve this, the CGC should maintain a balanced approach that considers the nation’s trade and commercial environment, avoiding getting carried away with media hype and focusing on delivering real value to the nation. By doing so, the Customs Service can promote economic growth and stability.

Specifically, the CGC could consider the following advice:

Support trade facilitation: Implement policies that simplify and streamline customs procedures, reducing bureaucracy and increasing efficiency.

Foster a favorable business environment: Encourage policies that promote economic growth, job creation, and investment, while ensuring compliance with customs regulations.

Monitor and address inflationary trends: Keep a close eye on inflationary trends and adjust policies accordingly to mitigate their impact on the economy.

By aligning with these policy thrusts and focusing on these areas, SEREC strongly believes that the CGC can help promote economic growth, stability, and prosperity, while delivering real value to the nation.

To excel in his additional international duties, Chairperson Adeniyi should:

(i) Provide Strategic Leadership: Effectively steer the WCO Policy Commission, focusing on trade facilitation, revenue optimization, security, cross-border cooperation, and digital transformation.

(ii) Mediate Diverse Perspectives: Balance the interests of 186 member countries, ensuring coherence in WCO activities aligned with global customs trends and modernization goals.

(iii) Foster Collaboration: Build strong relationships with stakeholders, including customs administrations, governments, and international organizations, to drive collective progress.

(iv) Champion Capacity Building: Support capacity-building initiatives for customs administrations, particularly in developing countries, to enhance their capabilities and compliance with global standards.

Conclusively, SEREC wishes to posit that by leveraging this position effectively, Nigeria can enhance its customs operations, promote economic growth, and increase its influence in global trade diplomacy. And to do this, the CGC must lead by example, as charity begins from home. He must stand tall against and boldly root out every form of operational negativity that impedes cargo operational fluidity, which stunts global imaging.

Most importantly, Chairperson Adeniyi is strategically placed to advance the cause of “Made in Nigeria” goods through strategic positioning of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council and the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council.