The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has led a high-level Nigeria Customs Service, NCS delegation to the Netherlands on a two-day working visit aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation on trade facilitation, port efficiency and border management.
The visit, held between October 29 and 31, 2025, featured strategic meetings, technical briefings and capacity-building sessions with Dutch Customs officials and government agencies.
During the engagements at the Netherlands Customs Headquarters in Rotterdam, the Nigerian team was briefed by the country’s National Tariff Classification Team and the Customs National Tactical Centre, with discussions focusing on tariff and origin procedures, risk profiling, cargo monitoring and tactical decision-making in customs operations.
Speaking after the sessions, CGC Adeniyi praised the Netherlands for its structured approach to classification and risk management, describing the discussions as “particularly insightful” and useful in strengthening Nigeria’s compliance systems.
He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to adopting global standards, stressing that Nigeria Customs remains focused on balancing trade facilitation with national security and revenue protection.
The delegation also visited Schiphol Airport, where Schiphol Cargo officials presented processes on cargo clearance, automation and coordinated border management. Deputy Comptroller-General Caroline Niagwan noted that the experience would support Nigeria’s ongoing customs modernisation efforts.
Further engagements were held at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, with both sides exploring frameworks for technical assistance, digital transformation, capacity-building and gender equity in customs administration.
Netherlands Director-General for International Trade, Machiel Zweers, described the engagements as a “new chapter of institutional partnership built on trust and innovation.”
The visit concluded with a tour of the Port of Rotterdam, where the delegation learned about advanced logistics systems, cargo-tracking tools and intermodal transport operations. Adeniyi called the tour an “eye-opener,” highlighting the importance of synergy between port and customs authorities for seamless trade.
The NCS delegation included DCG Caroline Niagwan; Deputy Comptroller Etim Ibok, Special Assistant to the CGC; Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, National Public Relations Officer; and Assistant Comptroller Lauretta Utubor, Team Lead of Nigeria’s Advance Ruling System.
