Nigeria’s Customs Chief Adeniyi Elected WCO Council Chair, Bolstering Trade Reforms

 Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Nigeria’s Comptroller-General of Customs, was elected Chair of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council on June 29, 2025, securing 60% of votes from 183 member nations. 

Adeniyi, who assumes the two-year role on July 1, aims to advance digital customs systems and combat smuggling, building on Nigeria’s $50 billion customs revenue in 2024. His election, celebrated by President Tinubu as a milestone for Africa’s trade leadership, positions Nigeria to influence the WCO’s $100 million annual budget.

Adeniyi’s agenda includes reducing trade costs by 10% by 2027 through the SAFE Framework, enhancing Nigeria’s $400 billion GDP and 25% share of African trade. His leadership follows Nigeria’s 2024 port reforms, which cut clearance times by 30%. 

Challenges include addressing smuggling, costing Nigeria N2 trillion annually, and harmonizing tariffs across ECOWAS’s 15 nations. Adeniyi plans a 2026 WCO summit in Abuja to train 5,000 customs officers, strengthening Nigeria’s bid for BRICS associate membership.