The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), says it is now prepared for the implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The AGOA was initiated by the United States to enable African countries have un hindered access to American markets through the exportation of textiles, wearing apparels, footwear and some agricultural products.

The Act was signed into law by former US President Bill Clinton on May 18, 2000 and was also aimed at creating a new US Africa partnership by promoting increased trade and other economic activities.

NCS spokesman, Wale Adeniyi, told NAN in Abuja that the service had already established AGOA-dedicated desks at the country's seaports and international airports to ensure proper transactions under the scheme.

Adeniyi said senior officers of the service had been given sufficient training to meet with the new challenges of the operation, as well as boost trade relations with the US.

He said the National Assembly had also amended some sections of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) to facilitate the country's participation in AGOA.

"The AGOA bill has been passed with the necessary amendments to CEMA CAP. 84 of 1990 and President Olusegun Obasanjo has assented to it," the Customs spokesman added.

He also told NAN that with recent amendments to the Customs Act and its subsequent passage into law, the country would now enjoy the benefits of AGOA and its privileges.

Nigeria's recent moves toward the AGOA initiative, however, came almost three years after the Act came on stream.

According to Adeniyi, "It will also take care of the concerns of the US government and further address the commitments that Nigeria may have under other preferential trade arrangements."

Latest AGOA Trade Data on AGOA.info

Click here to view a sector profile of Nigeria’s bilateral trade with the United States, disaggregated into total exports and imports, AGOA exports and GSP exports.

For more about AGOA click here .

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