President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed Nigeria's resolve to work towards building an Africa where borders are efficient enough to facilitate trade and other economic opportunities instead of hindering them. He implored African nations to be disciplined in working towards building borders that meet the high demands and rapid pace of contemporary technological advancement.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja when he declared open the Customs Pact – Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade, the President expressed delight to be a part of the event, which brought together partners and leaders from across the continent, saying it demonstrates the collective resolve to discard the old habit of accepting slow borders as destiny. President Tinubu, who was represented by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said while nations exist to complement one another, size, resources, and talent are inconsequential if they are trapped behind inefficient borders and fragmented markets.

Maintaining that "fragmented markets cannot achieve industrial scale, negotiate effectively with global powers, or withstand external shocks, the Nigerian leader noted, however, that integration "enables large-scale industrialization, collective bargaining strength and resilient supply chains."Nigeria, according to him, is approaching this responsibility with practical systems and infrastructure rather than rhetoric, even as he said the strength of a continental market can only be engineered and not declared.

Earlier, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, represented by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, urged relevant authorities in Africa to continue to dismantle barriers that hinder trade and revenue generation.

For her part, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said that under President Tinubu’s decisive leadership, the administration has achieved a unified exchange rate, strengthened fiscal discipline, and is on course to accelerate regional economic integration under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Also, the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Ian Saunders, applauded ongoing reforms by the Tinubu administration, assuring that the WCO stands with Nigeria in facilitating legitimate trade. The Executive Vice President of Afreximbank, Kanayo Awani, backed modernization as a positive initiative adopted by several customs administrations, including Nigeria. On his part, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, urged relevant authorities and stakeholders to adopt cross-country trade facilitation and integration, emphasizing, that the continent cannot continue to work in silos.The Secretary-General of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, assured that the Secretariat will work closely with the NCS to ensure that the objectives of C-PACT unfold into a pleasant reality.