Nigeria’s PPP model now powering Africa’s trade — ICRC DG

Nigeria's innovative customs modernization model, developed through a public-private partnership (PPP) framework, is now being adopted across Africa to bolster the continent's trade. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat recently signed a 20-year, $3.1 billion concession agreement with Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, the parent company of the Trade Modernization Project, to deploy Nigeria's electronic customs system, known as B’Odogwu, across member states.

This development marks a significant validation of Nigeria's PPP approach, with the indigenous solution now expected to support trade across approximately 50 African countries. The ICRC's Director-General, Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, revealed this during a reaction to the AfCFTA's adoption of Nigeria's model as the template for the continental initiative.

Ewalefoh emphasized that Nigeria's PPP model is paving the way for Africa's trade future by serving as the template for a $3.1 billion continental customs modernization drive. He highlighted that the adoption of the Nigerian model signifies that properly structured PPP arrangements can deliver large-scale infrastructure and technology projects without placing the entire financial burden on governments.

Ewalefoh pointed out that Africa is not merely adopting technology but is embracing a Nigerian idea, built by Nigerians, and trusted to carry the trade ambitions of an entire continent. The Trade Modernization Project, spearheaded by the Nigeria Customs Service, has been central to the country's digital transformation, with B’Odogwu being rolled out across Customs commands to automate and modernize customs operations.

The AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, acknowledged the Nigerian experience as a demonstration of how technology can transform customs administration, giving the continental body the confidence to replicate the model across Africa.