By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigeria Customs Service has strengthened its engagement with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department to improve trade facilitation and border management.
The development was disclosed in a statement by the NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada.
According to the statement, the engagement followed a visit by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to Malaysia during the DSA Malaysia 2026 event.
Maiwada said trade between Nigeria and Malaysia has grown significantly, with imports increasing from N159.9bn in 2020 to N716bn in 2024.
He added that total trade between both countries has reached about N1.82tn over five years.
During the visit, Adeniyi met with the Director-General of RMCD, Amran bin Haji Ahmad, to discuss cooperation and customs modernisation.
He noted that there is a need for a structured partnership between both countries to manage growing trade.
Adeniyi said Malaysia remains a key trading partner, supplying products such as palm oil, jet fuel, and machinery.
The statement added that both countries agreed to work towards establishing a Mutual Recognition Agreement under the World Customs Organization.
The agreement is expected to improve trade facilitation and strengthen cooperation.
The two sides also discussed intelligence sharing and technology-driven border management to tackle illicit trade.
The NCS reiterated its commitment to improving operations and strengthening partnerships to support economic growth.