The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has entered into a 20-year concession agreement with Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited for the implementation of a Customs Modernisation Project aimed at improving trade processes across Africa.
The agreement was signed in Abuja, with Bergmans executing the project through its subsidiary, AfriTrade CMP Limited.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Keabetswe Mene said the partnership is expected to drive the digital transformation of customs systems across the continent, improve transparency and accountability, and make trade procedures more efficient.
According to him, the project is designed to simplify cross-border trade and support Africa’s broader economic integration agenda.
Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Saleh Ahmadu, described the agreement as a major step toward increasing intra-African trade and accelerating the implementation of the AfCFTA framework.
He said the company would provide financing and technical expertise in collaboration with stakeholders from different parts of the world.
Ahmadu noted that the partnership is intended to develop secure, efficient and scalable trade infrastructure, enhance trade facilitation, create new investment opportunities and strengthen African capacity for sustainable economic growth.
He added that the project would rely on innovation and advanced technology to modernise customs administration across participating countries.
Mene said his confidence in the initiative was influenced by the customs modernisation work previously carried out by Bergmans in Nigeria, including digitalisation efforts and investments that helped improve the country’s customs systems.
He explained that the AfCFTA Secretariat wants similar reforms replicated across other African countries.
According to the Secretary-General, the goal is to ensure that customs systems across Africa become fully digital, support economic activity, improve transparency and contribute more effectively to the continent’s growth.
He also commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for its role in promoting customs modernisation.
Mene said Bergmans was selected because it is an African company with the capacity to deploy digital technology for the benefit of the continent.
He expressed confidence that the project would be implemented successfully and would support the objectives of the AfCFTA by making trade across Africa faster, more transparent and more efficient.
