AfCFTA signs $3.1 bn customs modernisation deal with Bergmans across Africa

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has concluded a 20‑year, $3.1 billion concession with Nigerian firm Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited to deploy a continent‑wide digital customs system. The agreement, signed in Abuja by AfCFTA Secretary‑General Wamkele Mene and Bergmans Chairman Saleh Ahmadu, will be rolled out across roughly 50 African Union member states. The platform will digitise procedures, harmonise border formalities and provide real‑time cargo tracking, aiming to curb corruption, reduce revenue leakage and support AfCFTA’s goal of doubling intra‑African trade flows by 2035. In 2024 intra‑African trade reached $220 billion, a 12.5 % increase from the previous year, but still represents a modest share of total African commerce. The project builds on Nigeria’s recent customs modernisation, which boosted customs revenue by over 90 %. The next AfCFTA Council of Ministers meeting will review progress on the digital trade protocol.