The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has signed a landmark 20-year, $3.1 billion concession agreement with Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited. The high-profile signing ceremony, held in Abuja on Thursday, marks a decisive step toward modernising customs administration across Africa, eliminating persistent border bottlenecks, and accelerating intra-African trade.
This comprehensive agreement officially kicks off the implementation phase of the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project. The multi-billion-dollar initiative is engineered to deploy cutting-edge digital technologies and robust physical customs infrastructure across the continent, directly supporting the overarching vision of a unified free trade ecosystem.
The deal follows closely on the heels of a Memorandum of Understanding previously entered into by both parties to establish a collaborative framework for transforming legacy customs operations.
AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, signed the agreement on behalf of the continental trade bloc, while Saleh Ahmadu, Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, signed on behalf of the firm.
Addressing attendees at the ceremony, Mene hailed the agreement as a monumental milestone in Africa’s pursuit of an integrated, technology-driven trading environment. He emphasized that the project will supply the vital digital architecture needed to enforce AfCFTA protocols concerning trade facilitation and customs harmonisation.
Crucially, the modernization efforts will enable participating national customs administrations to elevate operational efficiency, optimize revenue collection, and ensure the seamless cross-border transit of goods—all without imposing additional financial burdens on member states.
Mene disclosed that approximately 50 African countries have already formally committed to the initiative. He noted that the sweeping project directly serves the AfCFTA’s ultimate ambition: forging a single continental market encompassing roughly 1.3 billion people with a combined Gross Domestic Product estimated at $3.4 trillion.
The inspiration behind the pan-African scale-up, according to Mene, stems from proven successes closer to home. “The Nigerian experience demonstrated that technology can transform customs administration.
The success recorded gave the AfCFTA Secretariat the confidence to replicate the model across the continent,” Mene stated. He credited the modernization reforms successfully deployed by the Nigeria Customs Service through Bergmans’ technological solutions with drastically improving cargo clearance times, enhancing institutional transparency, and significantly increasing government revenue.
“The achievements recorded in Nigeria convinced us that this initiative can deliver similar results across Africa. This is an achievement that should make Nigerians and Africans proud,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the private sector partner, Ahmadu described the pact as the foundation for a transformative, long-term investment that will permanently reshape border operations across participating nations. Under the terms of the concession agreement, Bergmans will completely finance the $3.1 billion project. The company plans to roll out sophisticated digital platforms and physical infrastructure designed to streamline trade corridors and simplify cross-border logistics.
Ahmadu highlighted that the rollout will introduce advanced non-intrusive inspection machinery, integrated centralized data centers, and multilingual customs portals fully equipped to support Africa’s official languages. “Our experience in Nigeria has achieved remarkable success and attracted international recognition.
It has become a model for customs modernisation across Africa, and we are committed to delivering a world-class customs ecosystem that supports the continent’s economic integration,” Ahmadu affirmed.
Launched officially for trading in January 2021, the AfCFTA stands as the world’s largest free trade area by participating country count, uniting 54 African nations under one umbrella market. The agreement is structurally designed to progressively phase out tariffs, dismantle non-tariff barriers, and champion the unfettered movement of goods, services, and investments throughout the region.
Despite steady increases in trading volume since the pact came into force, trade experts and economists have continually pointed to inefficient customs procedures, fragmented border networks, and protracted cargo clearance procedures as primary obstacles preventing the agreement from delivering its full economic dividends.
The newly inaugurated Customs Modernisation Project is specifically targeted at resolving these systemic bottlenecks. By harmonizing disparate customs operations, fortifying information-sharing mechanisms, upgrading risk management protocols, and accelerating cargo throughput, the initiative is expected to substantially lower the overall cost of doing business while maximizing revenue mobilization across the continent.
