President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu, Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, following the execution of a landmark 20-year, $3.1 billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat. The continental concession agreement, signed by AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene and Alhaji Ahmadu, will deploy unified digital customs platforms, electronic cargo tracking, and non-intrusive inspection technology across participating African states through Bergmans’ subsidiary, AfriTrade CMP Limited.
What is the significance of the $3.1bn AfCFTA customs modernization project?
The multi-billion-dollar initiative builds directly on the success of Nigeria’s homegrown customs modernization project, currently being executed for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) by another Bergmans subsidiary, Trade Modernisation Project Limited.Speaking on the endorsement of Nigerian technical capacity across the continent, President Tinubu commended Bergmans, the Nigeria Customs Service led by Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the project teams for earning continental confidence.
“What has been built and tested in Nigeria is now providing a model for the continent. This is how African integration should work: Africans building African solutions for African opportunities.”
“Under our Nigeria First policy, we will continue to create opportunities for capable Nigerian businesses to compete at home, across Africa and globally. The promise of AfCFTA will be realised when goods can move across African borders faster, at lower cost and with fewer barriers.”
The AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, noted that the selection of the Nigerian firm followed a thorough review of the digitalization achievements recorded by the Nigeria Customs Service, including the implementation of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System.Mene emphasized that the 20-year concession will establish a harmonized digital trade corridor for a single continental market serving 1.3 billion people.
“The deal is a huge milestone in the digital transformation and overall modernization of African trade and customs infrastructure. What motivated the AfCFTA Secretariat to engage Bergmans to drive this continental transformation was the great feat recorded through the Nigerian experience.”
In his response, Bergmans Chairman Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu reaffirmed the company’s readiness to deploy the necessary digital and physical infrastructure across participating nations, ensuring streamlined cross-border operations without burdening national budgets.
“With the execution of the concession, our organization is fully prepared to invest $3.1 billion. The Nigerian project has achieved significant international recognition, and we are committed to deploying advanced technology to eliminate border bottlenecks and protect national revenues across Africa.”
The project is expected to enhance customs cooperation, reduce transit delays along strategic trade corridors, and provide the technological foundation for One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) across the continent.Will this continental digital single window effectively streamline trade and accelerate intra-African commercial integration?
