Nigeria's Customs PPP Model Adopted for $3.1bn AfCFTA Customs Programme
By Aboki Forex —
Nigeria's Customs Modernisation Project has been endorsed as the model for the African Continental Free Trade Area's $3.1 billion customs transformation programme. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) says the 20-year concession will deploy Nigeria's B'Odogwu customs system across about 50 African countries serving a market of roughly 1.3 billion people.
ICRC Confirms Continental Endorsement
ICRC Director-General, Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, disclosed this in Abuja while reacting to the signing of the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project concession agreement. The concession was signed between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, the parent company of the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP).
Ewalefoh said the development demonstrates how properly structured PPPs can transform public infrastructure, attract private capital and position Nigeria as an exporter of home-grown solutions. He described the moment as a major validation of the Nigerian approach.
“Africa is adopting a Nigerian idea, built by Nigerians, proven on Nigerian soil, and now trusted to carry the trade ambitions of an entire continent,” he said.
B'Odogwu and the PPP Success Story
At the heart of Nigeria's customs transformation is B'Odogwu, the Unified Customs Management System developed through the PPP between the Nigeria Customs Service and TMP. According to Ewalefoh, the Nigerian experience proved that indigenous technology and private-sector expertise can deliver reforms replicated across Africa.
He recalled that the project faced doubts and institutional resistance in its early years but overcame them through strong government backing, effective regulation and public-private collaboration. Ewalefoh, who previously served as the ICRC desk officer for the project before becoming director-general, said the commission played a critical role in structuring and developing the initiative.
He stressed that the technology was built by Nigerian engineers and local talent, not imported from a foreign provider. He also praised Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi for driving the nationwide deployment of B'Odogwu and advancing the digital transformation of the Nigeria Customs Service.
What It Means for Nigeria's $1trn Economy
The ICRC said the project has supported stronger customs revenue, proving that PPPs can improve public finances while reducing the need to fund major infrastructure entirely through borrowing. Ewalefoh noted that the success of the Trade Modernisation Project supports Nigeria's ambition to build a $1 trillion economy under the Renewed Hope Development Plan 2026-2030.
He pointed to projects like the Trade Modernisation Project and Lekki Deep Sea Port as evidence that private capital can build infrastructure while creating jobs, improving efficiency and strengthening government revenue. He argued that Nigeria's real challenge is overcoming resistance to institutional change, not a lack of ideas or funding.
The ICRC said Bergman's selection for the AfCFTA project positions Nigeria not just as a major African market, but as a supplier of infrastructure and technology to the continent. Ewalefoh added that the development calls for stronger regional cooperation among African PPP institutions, allowing successful projects in one country to serve as models for broader continental development.