The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Fire Service (FFS) and Unilever Nigeria PLC have signed separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen collaboration, enhance security, protect legitimate trade and safeguard lives, property and consumers.
Speaking during the engagement with the FFS, in Abuja, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the agreement as a strategic step towards strengthening inter-agency collaboration and advancing the shared mandate of both agencies to protect lives, property and critical national assets.
Adeniyi said the MoU would enhance fire safety standards across Customs facilities, facilitate rapid emergency response, promote joint training and capacity building, and improve information sharing on fire safety and emergency preparedness.
“I am very confident that this MoU will translate to practical actions that save lives, protect government assets, and enhance our collective capacity to respond to emergencies,” he said.
The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Adeyemi, described the agreement as a significant milestone, assuring that the Service would deploy its capacity to protect Customs personnel and assets.
Similarly, at a separate engagement with Unilever Nigeria PLC, Adeniyi said the partnership demonstrated the NCS’s commitment to deepening collaboration with the private sector, particularly in tackling challenges affecting trade and industrial development.
He said the agreement would strengthen cooperation in preventing counterfeiting, intelligence sharing, and the identification and verification of suspected counterfeit products.
According to him, the MoU would establish a structured channel for real-time information on trademarks, product identification features, packaging and product samples.
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The Customs boss noted that engagements with private-sector stakeholders often provide valuable insights that influence the Service’s policies and operational decisions.
“Some of the takeaways we get from these engagements with the private sector influence the policies and decisions that we take,” he said.
Adeniyi also commended Unilever for its sustained investment, innovation and employment generation in Nigeria, describing the company as a major partner in the country’s trade and industrial sector.
The Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria PLC, Tobi Adeniyi, highlighted the company’s long-standing presence in Nigeria since 1923, noting that more than 70 per cent of its raw materials had been localised.
He added that the company supports about 15,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country.
Tobi commended the NCS for its ongoing transformation, particularly its digitalisation initiatives, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and other measures aimed at facilitating legitimate trade.
He said previous engagements between Unilever and the NCS had already yielded practical results, including the application of lessons from training involving more than 70 Customs officers.
He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to partnering with the NCS to combat counterfeiting and illicit trade, while expanding the collaboration through further engagements across the country.
