The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has selected Nigeria as the pilot country for the implementation of the Simplified Trade Regime (STR) in West Africa to support small-scale cross-border trade.

A delegation from AfCFTA secretariat led by Pedro Estevao, made this known during an engagement with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to advance the implementation of the STR at its headquarters recently in Abuja.

The NCS`s Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to Maiwada, Estevao notes that, as the largest market in the region, Nigeria is strategically positioned to drive inclusive trade and regional economic growth.

The spokesperson said that the NCS during the engagement presented its draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementing the STR in Nigeria.

He said that the NCS`s presentation during the engagement detailed simplified customs procedures covering informal cross-border trade, passenger baggage and low-value e-commerce transactions, supported by digital declaration systems and risk-based controls.

He said the parties identified key areas of convergence between the NCS draft SOP and the AfCFTA framework, including the simplification of documentation and procedures.

Other areas of convergence he listed were the use of digital platforms for declaration and clearance, the adoption of de minimis thresholds for low-value trade and the promotion of inclusive trade, particularly for women and MSMEs.

Both parties, he said, agreed on the need for sustained technical engagement to refine implementation strategies, address operational challenges and ensure alignment between national and continental frameworks.

The engagement, he added, marked a significant step toward positioning Nigeria as a pilot country for the implementation of the STR under the AfCFTA while reinforcing the NCS’s commitment to facilitating legitimate trade.

This is in addition to strengthening regional integration and supporting inclusive economic growth.

He said that the NCS’s Comptroller-General(C-G), Bashir Adeniyi, at the engagement reaffirmed the service’s commitment to facilitating trade and supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through simplified and transparent customs processes.

The C-G, represented by Caroline Niagwan, the Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG) in charge of Tariff and Trade, said the engagement aimed to make trade easier, more transparent and inclusive for small-scale traders, while ensuring compliance with national and regional trade regulations.

The AfCFTA’s STR is a framework designed to ease cross-border trade for small-scale traders by simplifying customs procedures, reducing documentation requirements and facilitating faster clearance of eligible goods between participating African countries.(NAN)