Business
NCS Boss Moves to Seal Customs Deal With Malaysia as Bilateral Trade Tops N1.82trn
NCS Boss Moves to Seal Customs Deal With Malaysia as Bilateral Trade Tops N1.82trn
Comptroller-General Adeniyi’s Kuala Lumpur visit signals push for Mutual Recognition Agreement under WCO framework
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News Correspondent, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is pushing to formalise a structured trade partnership with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, following a high-level visit by Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to Malaysia’s customs headquarters on the sidelines of DSA Malaysia 2026.
The engagement takes on fresh urgency given the scale of commerce between both nations. Nigerian imports from Malaysia surged from N159.9 billion in 2020 to N716 billion in 2024, with total bilateral trade touching N1.82 trillion over the five-year window — a figure that both sides say demands a more robust institutional framework to match.
Adeniyi was received by Dato’ Haji Amran bin Haji Ahmad, Director-General of the Malaysian customs authority. Talks centred on modernising customs operations, advancing intelligence sharing, and building coordinated border management systems.
At the heart of the discussions was a frank acknowledgement: despite years of active trade, no formal legal agreement governs how the two customs administrations work together. Both delegations agreed to set that right by initiating steps toward a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) through diplomatic channels, under the framework of the World Customs Organization. Such a pact would institutionalise cooperation, build mutual trust, and smooth trade facilitation for businesses on both sides.
Key Nigerian imports from Malaysia include crude palm oil, refined palm oil, jet fuel, food preparations, machinery, and various industrial inputs — commodities critical to Nigeria’s manufacturing and energy sectors.
The Malaysian side presented its evolving border management architecture, highlighting the newly established Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency as a model of integrated frontline security. Adeniyi, in turn, spotlighted Nigeria’s Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme — a reform designed to streamline cargo clearance, cut transaction costs, and improve trade compliance for vetted businesses.
Both administrations underscored the urgency of deeper cooperation in technology deployment and enforcement coordination to combat illicit trade and transnational trafficking.
The Comptroller-General also called on officials at the Nigerian Diplomatic Mission and Defence Office in Malaysia, commending their work in advancing Nigeria’s interests and supporting Nigerians in the country.
The NCS said outcomes from the engagement are expected to sharpen operational capacity, accelerate trade facilitation, and tighten border security — all feeding into Nigeria’s broader economic growth agenda.