By Suleiman Anyalewechi
Nigeria has been unanimously elected the Leader of the World Custom Organization, WCO, for the first time since the formation of the global body.
Nigeria’s Customs Service, NCS, Comptroller, General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, was on Saturday June 28, 2025, at its 145th/146th General Council meeting held in Brussels elected as the Chairperson of the WCO Council, which is the highest decision-making organ of the global customs administration.
A statement from the National spokesman of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada ACC, informed that Adeniyi is taking over from South Africa’s Commissioner of Revenue Service Edward Kieswetter.
Reacting to his election, CGC Adeniyi expressed profound appreciation to the Council members for finding him worthy to leader the global customs administration body.
He described the development as both humbling and historic For Nigeria and the African Customs community at large.
“This honour is not mine alone, it reflects the collective progress of the Nigeria Customs Service, and the transformative agenda, we have pursued over the past two years.
“As chairperson, I pledge to uphold the core values of the WCO ,while promoting innovation ,equity ,and deeper collaboration among member states in response to the complex realities of global trade”, Adeniyi stated.
The NCS head, also, assured of his unwavering commitment towards supporting the efforts of the WCO in modernizing its operations ,as well as the implementation of the 2025–2028 master plan.
“We are entering a critical phase in the evolution of global trade, where customs must balance facilitation with enforcement, transparency, with innovation, and sovereignty with cooperation.
“I intend to work closely with member administrations and stakeholders to position WCO as a dynamic, forward-looking institution fit for today’s challenges”, he emphasized.
Adeniyi commended his predecessor in office, Kieswetter for providing a focused leadership and stabilizing the Council.
Particularly, Adeniyi acknowledged the solid foundation laid by the South African, noting that it will assist in the thriving of current reforms within the system.
While expressing confidence in the upcoming sessions of the Council ,CGC Adeniyi affirmed his readiness towards facilitating meaningful dialogue and progress among the global customs community.
The WCO Council is the organization’s supreme governing body, established by the Convention on the Establishment of a customs Cooperation Council.
Its core mandate promotes uniformity, modernization, and global best practices among customer administrations.
All WCO working bodies report to the Council whose policy decisions guide the operations of customs administration across its 185 member states.
As Chairperson ,CGC Adeniyi is expected to provide strategic leadership to the WCO policy Commission, steering the global customs agenda and facilitating high-level discussions on trade facilitations, revenue optimization ,security ,cross-border cooperation and digital transformation.
To this end ,he will also work closely with the WCO Secretary General Iran Saunders and the WCO Secretariat to ensure the implementation of the organization’s Strategic Plan while at the same time championing greater inclusivity, capacity development ,and sustainability in customs operations ,particularly for developing countries”, the statement noted.
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