The United Kingdom’s His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) hosted the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for a holistic Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programme benchmarking study from 16 to 19 July 2024. The mission took place as a key component of the capacity building rendered by the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, which is funded by the United Kingdom, in support of NCS’ journey towards a full-fledged AEO Programme in line with the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards. The study visit also included components of Risk Management and Post Clearance Audit as fundamental pillars for a successful AEO Programme.
The mission followed a February 2024 diagnostic mission and remote technical assistance sessions in the past months to support the recently launched NCS AEO Pilot. The AEO Programmes of both HMRC and NCS are harmoniously designed with tier systems and similar criteria, which provided the opportunity for the NCS to gain empirical experience in the regulatory framework and management of AEO procedures by learning from the HMRC. Mr. Alan Chalk, a representative from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), remarked that the peer-to-peer exchange would contribute to the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership between the two countries, as signed on 13 February 2024.
An HMRC’s client AEOs confirmed that a successful AEO programme, such as that of the UK, resulted also in tangible benefits beyond trade facilitation that had a direct positive impact on return on investment, i.e. being viewed as low risk by insurers, and propelled improved brand image through business partner security. The Head of the AEO International Policy, Ms. Yasmeen Elahi, underscored the importance of the Customs-Business collaboration through forums, such as consultative working groups, for an effective implementation of an AEO Programme. This would also include conveying the importance of adhering to the SAFE requirements to ensure compatibility of AEO Programmes for potential Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) negotiations in the future.
Ms. Nnenna Awa, AEO Lead at the NCS, expressed her enthusiasm about the positive impact the learning uptakes would have on the effectiveness and efficiency of the AEO Pilot. She emphasized that the insights gained will contribute to developing a comprehensive, yet adaptable, legal framework for Nigeria’s AEO Programme, thereby enhancing international supply chain security and compliance with Customs requirements in line with the NCS’s strategic objectives.
In the coming months, the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme will continue to provide tailored capacity-building support to the NCS towards a successful implementation of the AEO Programme. This includes practical AEO validations and peer-to-peer learning focused on Post Clearance Audit methodologies to support all Risk Management mechanisms, including for AEO purposes.
For more information on the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, please see here.
For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.