Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have resolved to strengthen bilateral trade and customs cooperation.

The commitment was made when the NCS’s Comptroller-General (CG), Bashir Adeniyi, held a diplomatic engagement with the ambassador of the UAE to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, in Abuja.

A statement on the visit was made available by NCS’ spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, on Thursday in Abuja.

In the statement, Mr Adeniyi expressed confidence that the engagement would fortify the cordial relationship between Nigeria and the UAE.

He said that the NCS was determined to facilitate ease of doing trade, particularly for small and medium enterprises.

He stated, “We are happy to work with the UAE to show the true nature of trade. We also want to make trade easier, especially for SMEs, and use your embassy to bring customs administrations together.”

He noted that trade relations between both countries had improved significantly in the past two years and reaffirmed the service’s commitment to sustained engagement with traders and service providers to boost efficiency and strengthen legitimate trade.

The CG emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between both countries to enhance security, trust and economic growth, particularly in identifying individuals whose actions damage Nigeria’s image abroad.

On his part, the UAE ambassador noted that the partnership between the NCS and the UAE had produced strong results, particularly in non-oil trade.

“We have achieved a substantial increase in non-oil trade from the year 2023 to 2025. Despite the challenges over the years, this remains one of the best relationships we have had,” the ambassador said.

He disclosed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was being finalised to strengthen cooperation between the NCS and UAE Customs, particularly in trade facilitation and customs administration.

He commended the CG and his management team for the reforms and innovations introduced to its operations to keep Nigeria at its current level of trade growth.

He also congratulated the CG on his emergence as chairman of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), describing it as a proud achievement for Nigeria and Africa.

(NAN)