Lagos,:   Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stepped up collaboration with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to boost industrial growth, streamline trade processes, and position the country for greater economic competitiveness.

Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Mr Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos during the MAN/Customs engagement session.

He said the meeting, a “deliberate and constructive platform” would help to align fiscal responsibilities with industrial growth imperatives.

(From L-R , President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr Francis Meshioye; Comptroller-General of Customs, (CGC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi; Director General of MAN, Mr Segun Ajayi and the Zonal Coordinator Zone’A’ Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Muhammed Babadede during a working visit to MAN headquarters in Lagos

According to him, manufacturing remains the backbone of any modern economy, and its success is directly tied to the nation’s prosperity.

“Your voices as manufacturers matter. Your experiences help us to understand how customs procedures can either enable or constrain manufacturing excellence.

“We must continue to build an ecosystem where customs is seen not as a stumbling block but as an enabler of growth,” Adeniyi said.

The Customs boss assured manufacturers that the NCS was already reviewing the Ministry of Finance’s recent directive on the suspension of the four per cent Free On Board (FOB) charge.

“We understand the concerns around the four per cent FOB charge. I assure you it is receiving attention, and whatever decision is taken will be in the best interest of trade facilitation, industrial growth, and national revenue stability,” he said.

Adeniyi explained that his administration had developed a framework for a “One-Stop-Shop” trade platform, designed to revolutionise how manufacturers interact with customs and other regulatory agencies.

“This innovation will cut through layers of bureaucracy. Instead of running from office to office, manufacturers will have a single touchpoint to process their documentation, resolve bottlenecks, and facilitate faster clearance of goods.

“This is how modern customs should operate,” he added.

He also disclosed that NCS had streamlined checkpoints on major highways to eliminate unnecessary delays that increased costs for manufacturers without boosting security or revenue.

“We have identified points where bottlenecks were created.

“Our officers are now mandated to operate with efficiency, courtesy, and accountability.

“The idea is simple: reduce costs without reducing compliance,” Adeniyi noted.

Highlighting the importance of structured dialogue, he said:
“The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to engage, listen, and reform.

“Our role is to protect borders, collect appropriate revenues, and facilitate legitimate trade. Your role as manufacturers is to produce, employ, and drive diversification.

“Together, these roles are complementary and critical to Nigeria’s future.”

Earlier, the President of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, commended the Customs Service for what he called a “new spirit of partnership and openness” since Adeniyi assumed office in 2023.

Meshioye said the engagement was more than a meeting, it was the revival of a longstanding commitment to collaboration.

“What we are having today is the enactment of that historic bond.

“It is a reaffirmation that dialogue remains the best way to resolve operational issues and shape inclusive policies that work for manufacturers and the economy at large,” he said.

He emphasised that manufacturers had consistently raised concerns about high costs of doing business, inefficiencies at the ports, and challenges with customs procedures.

“We believe this collaboration will create an enabling environment where policies do not just look good on paper but work effectively in practice.

“Manufacturers want efficiency, predictability, and fairness, and we are glad that customs is listening,” Meshioye added.

The MAN president urged the NCS to institutionalise the MAN-Customs dialogue platform and ensure it delivers concrete results in areas such as digitalisation, transparency, and cost reduction.

He also appealed for a review of the four per cent FOB charge and improvements to the association’s indigenous customs modernisation platform, B’odogwu, which he said was designed to help manufacturers engage seamlessly with customs processes.

“We urge customs to take a second look at the four per cent FOB charge. It is a significant burden on manufacturers.

“We also want support for our B’odogwu platform to enable local solutions to thrive in addressing trade challenges,” Meshioye said.

Meshioye congratulated Adeniyi on his historic election as Chairman of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council, the first Nigerian Customs Comptroller-General to attain the position since the body’s inception in 1952.

“It is not just a personal honour but a national achievement. Under your leadership, we have seen professionalism, innovation, and global recognition of the Nigeria Customs Service like never before.

“This is encouraging for us as manufacturers who depend heavily on efficient customs processes,” Meshioye said.