The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS has strengthened its strategic engagement with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, RMCD as part of efforts to enhance trade facilitation and modernise border management systems between both countries.
This followed an official visit by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to the RMCD headquarters on the sidelines of his participation at DSA Malaysia 2026.
The engagement comes amid growing bilateral trade between Nigeria and Malaysia. Data shows Nigeria’s imports from Malaysia rose significantly from ₦159.9 billion in 2020 to ₦716 billion in 2024, with total trade value reaching about ₦1.82 trillion over five years.
Adeniyi was received by the Director-General of RMCD, Amran bin Haji Ahmad, where both officials held high-level discussions on customs modernisation, institutional collaboration, and coordinated border management frameworks.
The Customs boss stressed that the scale of Nigeria–Malaysia trade requires a more structured customs-to-customs partnership, noting that Malaysia remains a key trading partner, supplying products such as crude palm oil, refined palm olein, jet fuel, machinery, and other industrial inputs.
Both countries acknowledged the absence of a formal legal framework guiding customs cooperation despite longstanding trade relations. To bridge this gap, they agreed to initiate processes toward establishing a Mutual Recognition Agreement under the framework of the World Customs Organization.
The proposed agreement is expected to strengthen mutual trust, improve efficiency, and support reciprocal trade facilitation measures.
During the engagement, the Malaysian delegation showcased its evolving border management system, including the establishment of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), an integrated frontline border control body.
In response, Adeniyi highlighted the NCS Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and other trade facilitation initiatives aimed at ensuring predictable cargo clearance, reducing transaction costs, and enhancing regulatory compliance.
Both sides emphasised the importance of deeper collaboration in intelligence sharing, enforcement coordination, and technology-driven border management, particularly in tackling illicit trade and transnational trafficking.
The NCS reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral and multilateral partnerships as part of its broader modernisation agenda, noting that outcomes from the engagement will boost operational efficiency, enhance trade, and reinforce border security in support of Nigeria’s economic growth objectives.
As part of the visit, Adeniyi also met with officials at the Nigerian Diplomatic Mission and Defence Office in Malaysia, commending their role in advancing Nigeria’s interests abroad.
