STR push: NCS, AfCFTA move to unlock MSME trade flows
By Afiong Edemumoh Nigeria’s drive to unlock small-scale cross-border trade and deepen regional cargo flows gained fresh momentum as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Continental Free Trade
By Afiong Edemumoh
Nigeria’s drive to unlock small-scale cross-border trade and deepen regional cargo flows gained fresh momentum as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat advanced talks on implementing the Simplified Trade Regime (STR).
At a high-level engagement in Abuja on March 23, the Customs authority outlined a framework designed to streamline cargo clearance for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), positioning Nigeria as a strategic pilot hub for low-value and informal trade corridors across West Africa, according to a statement by NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada.
Representing the Comptroller-General, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, said the Service is prioritising efficiency and inclusiveness in trade facilitation.
“Our goal is to make trade easier, more transparent, and inclusive for small-scale traders, while ensuring compliance with national and regional trade regulations,” he stated.
Leading the AfCFTA delegation, Pedro Estevao underscored Nigeria’s strategic role as the designated pilot country for the STR in West Africa, noting that its market size and trade volumes make it pivotal to the success of the continental framework.
He said the initiative is expected to catalyse structured participation of informal traders in cross-border commerce, while strengthening regional supply chains.
In a detailed presentation, the NCS rolled out its draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for STR implementation, targeting efficiency across informal trade, passenger baggage processing and low-value e-commerce shipments—segments increasingly shaping maritime and border trade volumes.
The SOP framework integrates digital declaration systems and risk-based controls aimed at reducing cargo dwell time, cutting documentation bottlenecks and improving compliance monitoring at ports and land borders.
Providing the continental outlook, AfCFTA consultant Nabil Zibani highlighted the need for simplified and accessible systems to bring MSMEs into formal trade channels.
He emphasised the importance of enabling MSMEs to comply with customs procedures through simplified, transparent, and accessible systems that promote participation in regional trade.
Deliberations revealed strong alignment between Nigeria’s draft SOP and the AfCFTA STR framework, particularly in simplifying documentation, deploying digital clearance platforms, and introducing de minimis thresholds for low-value consignments.
The framework also prioritises inclusive trade, with a focus on women-led enterprises and small traders—key actors in intra-African commerce often constrained by complex border procedures.
Both parties agreed to deepen technical collaboration to fine-tune operational models, address implementation gaps and ensure seamless alignment between national systems and continental trade protocols.
For Nigeria’s maritime and logistics ecosystem, the STR is expected to formalise a significant volume of informal cargo flows, expand trade data visibility and enhance revenue assurance without stifling small traders.
The engagement, the Service added, signals a critical step in aligning its processes with AfCFTA trade architecture, reinforcing the country’s role as a regional trade gateway and advancing efforts to scale intra-African trade through simplified, technology-driven systems.
