By Femi Anamelechi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Customs Administration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have agreed on a Joint collaboration aimed at Strengthening operational relationships between both Customs authorities, reinforcing ongoing efforts to enhance trade facilitation, border security, capacity building, and the fight against transnational organised crime.The significant Joint agreement was signed on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, in Brussels by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, and the Director-General of Netherlands Customs, Mrs Nanette Van Schelven.The bilateral agreement which was rescheduled after a series of high-level engagements between both administrations aims at strengthening customs modernisation, intelligence sharing, compliance management, and enforcement cooperation.This will further enhance the Nigeria Customs Service’s bilateral working visit to the Netherlands in October 2025 and the subsequent visit of the Netherlands Customs delegation to Nigeria in March 2026. During both engagements, the two administrations explored opportunities for cooperation in risk management, cargo clearance systems, trade facilitation, border control, supply chain security, capacity development, and the fight against illicit trade.In the Joint Declaration, both parties acknowledged Nigeria’s strategic position as one of West Africa’s leading economies and an important trading partner of the Netherlands. They further recognised that customs cooperation and institutional capacity building are critical to facilitating legitimate trade while combating illegal cross-border activities.
The declaration highlighted growing concerns over trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, counterfeit goods, wildlife products, and weapons, noting that these threats require coordinated international responses.Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) CGC Adewale Adeniyi described the declaration as a significant milestone in the Service’s international cooperation agenda and a reflection of the strong relationship established between both Customs administrations over the past year.He pointed out that; “Our engagements with Netherlands Customs have demonstrated the immense value of international cooperation in addressing emerging trade and border management challenges. This partnership will strengthen intelligence sharing, enhance capacity building, improve enforcement effectiveness, and support our collective efforts to secure international supply chains while facilitating legitimate trade.”Responding, the Director-General of the Netherlands Customs, Mrs Nanette Van Schelven, stated that both administrations face similar challenges in an increasingly interconnected global trading environment. She noted that closer collaboration would promote mutual learning, strengthen operational capabilities, and improve efforts to tackle transnational organised crime while supporting efficient and transparent trade processes.The join agreement commits both parties to deepening collaboration through the exchange of expertise, training, knowledge sharing, and the development of structured cooperation frameworks. It further provides a foundation for the development of a joint working plan and future cooperation mechanisms aimed at enhancing border efficiency, promoting fair trade practices, strengthening supply chain security, and addressing the challenges associated with both legal and illegal cross-border movement of goods.
