World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has called on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to enhance its risk management practices to improve trade efficiency and security.
In a virtual address to the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) conference on Wednesday, Okonjo-Iweala emphasized the importance of adopting more systematic and efficient methods to manage risks in cross-border trade.
She pointed out that better risk management would not only improve security but also speed up trade processing and reduce delays, enabling customs to allocate resources more effectively.
“Effective risk management in customs operations is critical. In many developed countries, less than 1% of consignments are physically inspected, whereas in Nigeria, about 90% are inspected, with an additional 9% scanned,” Okonjo-Iweala said.
“Without improving risk management and reducing inspection rates, speeding up clearance in a meaningful way will be impossible.”
She also stressed the need for improved compliance, consistent application of customs rules, and less discretion among officials to ensure predictable tariffs and reduce inefficiencies.
According to Okonjo-Iweala, better information sharing and collaboration are key to addressing delays in trade processing.
“Personnel of the NCS must be encouraged to diligently perform their duties. Customs regulations need to be more predictable and consistently applied,” she added.
The WTO chief also highlighted the challenges posed by frequent changes in fiscal policies and tariffs, which can create uncertainties in trade. She reiterated that achieving the ambitious trade goals outlined by the conference would require significant reforms and a coalition of support among stakeholders.
The conference, which started on Tuesday, aims to drive discussions on improving Nigeria’s trade operations. It is scheduled to run until Friday, with a focus on fostering reforms in customs and enhancing the country’s trade competitiveness.
