Over the weekend, The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) discussed with the Nigeria Customs Service on areas of strategic collaboration aimed at boosting trade, security, and sustainable development in the South-South region.
At a meeting held at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja, the Managing Director of the SSDC, Ms. Usoro Akpabio
led a delegation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and his management team. She expressed appreciation for the audience granted and congratulated the Customs leadership on its ongoing reforms and modernization efforts and effective service delivery.
Akpabio reaffirmed the mandate of the SSDC as a Commission dedicated to the sustainable development of the South-South region, describing it as a critical gateway for Nigeria’s economy with its seaports, oil and gas terminals, free trade zones, and international borders. She further emphasized that the Customs Service plays a pivotal role in revenue generation, border protection, and trade facilitation; whilst positioning the SSDC as a natural partner in regional integration, security, and infrastructural development and advancement.
Both parties discussed possible areas of collaboration, including the development of ports and border infrastructure to ease congestion and improve efficiency, adoption of technology-driven systems for faster clearance of goods, and the promotion of investments and industrialization within the region’s free trade zones and deep-sea ports. They also agreed on the need for joint efforts in tackling security challenges such as illegal trade, oil theft, arms smuggling, and human trafficking across border communities in the region.
The Managing Director SSDC, further stressed the importance of inclusive policies that balance national revenue objectives with the welfare of host communities. She proposed Customs–SSDC collaboration on corporate social responsibility initiatives in education, healthcare, and vocational training for border communities, as well as joint awareness campaigns to promote legal trade, compliance, and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
In his remarks, the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service Bashir Adewale Adeniyi welcomed the partnership initiative and assured the SSDC of the Service’s readiness to explore collaborative frameworks that would contribute to regional growth while aligning with National development priorities.
The deliberations, were concluded with a mutual commitment to transparency, partnership, and shared responsibility in driving sustainable economic growth in the South-South Region of the Country.
