The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) came together for a joint WCO Valuation Train-the-Trainers event held at the WCO Regional Training Centre in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria from 23 to 27 May.

Both Nigeria and Ghana have terminated contracts with private sector inspection contracts and their Customs services have taken on responsibility for the core functions of valuation and classification. In relation to this, the WCO has provided assistance to both countries in recent years and this event was arranged in response to similar requests from both Ghana and Nigeria for assistance in strengthening their national valuation trainer pools.

The workshop, which was kindly funded by the Korea Customs Service fund, consisted of sessions on key technical valuation questions, practical aspects of valuation control and trainer skills. A lead facilitator from the WCO Secretariat was assisted by two co-facilitators; one each from NCS and GRA. The 12 participants (six each from NCS and GRA) were given opportunities to deliver presentations to the group in order to gain experience and practice new skills.

Background : In June 2013, the WCO, together with the Customs administrations of the WCA Region, produced the Niamey Declaration. The Declaration calls upon Governments, Customs administrations and the WCO to act upon a series of recommendations designed to provide a smooth transition of core Customs functions from the inspection companies to the Customs administrations. The WCO is providing support to a number of countries in the West and Central Africa Region which are undergoing this transition.