Nigerian Firm Bergmans Secures $3.1bn 20-Year AfCFTA Customs Contract
Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, a Nigerian company, has signed a $3.1 billion, 20-year Public-Private Partnership agreement with the AfCFTA Secretariat to implement the Customs Modernisation Project across Africa. The deal, signed by AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene and Bergmans Chairman Saleh Ahmadu, will be executed through Bergmans' subsidiary AfriTrade CMP Limited.
President Bola Tinubu congratulated Ahmadu and Bergmans, calling it a major milestone for Nigeria and strong endorsement of indigenous expertise as Africa pursues a more integrated single market. The project will deploy unified digital customs platforms, electronic cargo-tracking systems, non-intrusive inspection technology, and integrated data infrastructure to improve efficiency and facilitate intra-African trade.
The concession is expected to strengthen customs cooperation, enhance cargo visibility, reduce border delays, and support AfCFTA's trade facilitation objectives. This demonstrates Nigerian companies' capability to develop and deliver solutions of continental significance in the advancing AfCFTA framework.
With Bergmans securing this continental-scale customs modernization contract, what opportunities might this create for other Nigerian technology, logistics, or infrastructure companies looking to participate in AfCFTA implementation projects?