At the invitation of Ms. Minette Libom Li Likeng, Director General of Cameroon Customs and Vice-Chair of the WCO ‘s West and Central Africa Region, Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya attended the Heads of Customs Conference of the WCO West and Central Africa Region from 29 April to 1 May 2015. The Conference was hosted by Mr. Dikko Inde Abdullahi, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, and was held in Abuja, Nigeria. All 23 regional Members were present.
Opening the Conference, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's Minister of Finance, welcomed the delegates from the Region. She emphasized the critical role Customs plays in economic development and border security.
Secretary General Mikuriya briefed the Conference on a number of key matters: the WCO Mercator Programme in support of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA); protection of society from the security threat and from illicit trade; Coordinated Border Management (CBM); revenue enhancement through the exchange of information; and capacity building. In this context, he referred to the Nigeria Customs Service’s modernization, which had benefited from strong political support and a strategic approach in the use of technology and development of the Service’s human resources, making it possible to terminate the outsourced inspection service contract.
The Conference expressed its support for performance measurement; shared best practice on CBM, particularly in relation to border security; expressed its desire that Trade Ministries involve Customs appropriately in implementing the TFA; and evaluated the progress achieved with the regional capacity building programme. The Directors General adopted the report on the Vice-Chair's activities, the regional financial and budgetary report, the recommendations put forward by the Expert Group, and the development of a Regional Guide. They approved the continuation of the existing regional representation on WCO working bodies: Cameroon as Vice-Chair, Benin and Ghana on the Policy Commission, Gambia on the Finance Committee, and Gabon and Togo on the Audit Committee.
The Secretary General, speaking on behalf of all the participants, expressed thanks to the Nigerian authorities and Customs Service for their support for the Conference, for the excellent organization and for the warm hospitality extended throughout the stay in Nigeria.
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Photos:
1. All 23 Members of the West and Central Africa Region were present at the WCO Regional Conference of Directors General of Customs held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 29 April to 1 May 2015.
2. From left to right: WCO Secretary General Mikuriya, Nigeria's Minister of Finance Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of Cameroon Customs Libom Li Likeng, and Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service Abdullahi.