The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Customs Administration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have signed a Joint Declaration on strengthening collaboration between both Customs authorities, reinforcing ongoing efforts to enhance trade facilitation, border security, capacity building, and the fight against transnational organised crime.
This declaration was signed on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Brussels by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Director-General of Netherlands Customs, Mrs Nanette Van Schelven, following a series of high-level engagements between both administrations aimed at strengthening customs modernisation, intelligence sharing, compliance management, and enforcement cooperation.
Abdullahi Maiwada,National Public Relations Officer, NCS disclosed in a statement signed for the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
Maiwada, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs said the development builds on the Service’s bilateral working visit to the Netherlands in October 2025 and the subsequent visit of the Netherlands Customs delegation to Nigeria in March 2026.
He said that during the initial engagements, the two administrations explored opportunities for cooperation in risk management, cargo clearance systems, trade facilitation, border control, supply chain security, capacity development, and the fight against illicit trade.
“In the Joint Declaration, both parties acknowledged Nigeria’s strategic position as one of West Africa’s leading economies and an important trading partner of the Netherlands. They further recognised that customs cooperation and institutional capacity-building are critical to facilitating legitimate trade while combating illegal cross-border activities. The declaration highlighted growing concerns over trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, counterfeit goods, wildlife products, and weapons,” the statement added, noting that these threats require coordinated international responses.
The CGC, while signing the declaration, asserted that the Netherlands Customs have demonstrated immense value of international cooperation in addressing emerging trade and border management challenges.
He added that the partnership would strengthen intelligence sharing, enhance capacity building, improve enforcement effectiveness, and support the collective efforts to secure international supply chains while facilitating legitimate trade.
He described the declaration as a significant milestone in the Service’s international cooperation agenda and a reflection of the strong relationship established between the two Customs administrations over the past years.
Furthermore, the Director-General of the Netherlands Customs, Mrs Nanette Van Schelven, stated that both administrations face similar challenges in an increasingly interconnected global trading environment. She noted that closer collaboration would promote mutual learning, strengthen operational capabilities, and improve efforts to tackle transnational organised crime while supporting efficient and transparent trade processes.
