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The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited to implement what both parties are calling the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project (ACMP). The MoU was signed in Lagos on Saturday July 1, 2026, on the sidelines of the Digital Trade Forum, by AfCFTA secretary-general Wamkele Mene and Bergmans chairman Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu. Bergmans stated that under the arrangement, structured as a Public-Private Partnership, the security company is expected to finance and deploy digital and physical customs infrastructure across AfCFTA member states, with the stated aim of harmonising customs processes and easing cross-border movement of goods. Bergmans is the parent company of Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) Limited, which holds the concession for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Modernisation Project -- a Nigerian government initiative that the company cites as the basis for its selection for the continental project. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines According to the companies, the ACMP will include non-intrusive inspection technology, data centres, electronic cargo-tracking systems, and multilingual customs portals, along with investment in One-Stop-Border-Posts along regional trade corridors. No project cost, financing structure, or implementation timeline was disclosed. The announcement cites Afreximbank figures putting intra-African trade at $210 billion in 2025, representing 18 per cent of the continent's total trade -- a gap the AfCFTA has long identified as a target for its trade-facilitation agenda. Comptroller General of Customs, Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, stated at the signing ceremony that the ACMP will learn from the globally recognised successes of the Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation Project, to bring a new dawn to Customs harmonisation across the Continent, moving from policy to action. It is a great day to be an African and greater day to be Nigerian. The AfCFTA comprises 55 African Union member states and eight Regional Economic Communities, with a combined market of roughly 1.3 billion people and a GDP of about $3.4 trillion. Its secretariat is headquartered in Accra, Ghana. Bergmans describes itself as a security-consulting and technology-solutions firm serving government and intelligence-related clients. The company's group managing director, Dr Jummai Umar-Ajijola, said at the signing that its approach relies on private-sector financing structured as PPP arrangements. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Read the original article on Leadership . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your ema