ACCRA, 7 AUGUST 2026 – The AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited have signed a 20-year, US$3.1 billion Concession Agreement for the implementation of the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project.
The Agreement provides a framework for financing and deploying modern customs digital and physical border infrastructure across participating AfCFTA State Parties through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. It seeks to support the development of smarter, digitally enabled and better-connected customs administrations across the continent.
The project will support the implementation of provisions of the AfCFTA Agreement relating to customs cooperation and trade facilitation. It is intended to help customs administrations simplify and digitalise procedures, strengthen coordination and improve the movement of goods across African borders.
The areas of implementation include the development and deployment of customs digital solutions , secure electronic exchange of customs information, coordinated border management, One Stop Border Posts, modern transit systems, electronic cargo tracking for goods in transit, non-intrusive inspection technology, integrated data centres, multilingual customs portals, risk management, data analytics and capacity building.
These interventions are expected to reduce border clearance times, strengthen customs control, safeguard public revenue and improve the predictability of supply chains. They will also support manufacturers, exporters, transporters and otherstakeholders by making the movement of goods across the continent faster, safer, more transparent and more predictable.
“We have a singular and shared ambition…, to position customs systems in Africa to be digital, to be at the service of Africa’s economy and to ensure transparency and accountability. This Agreement is an important step towards translating that ambition into practical improvements at Africa’s borders,” said H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Under the Concession Agreement, Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited will mobilise the financing and technical expertise required to support the deployment of the project, drawing on its experience in customs modernisation and digital trade infrastructure.
“This Agreement represents an important step towards building secure, efficient and scalable trade infrastructure across Africa. We are committed to working with the AfCFTA Secretariat, State Parties and customs administrations to deploy solutions that facilitate trade, strengthen revenue protection and build African capacity,” said Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu,OON, Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited.
The signing builds on the Memorandum of Understanding concluded by the two parties in July 2026 and marks the transition from initial cooperation towards implementation of the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project.
By supporting the interoperability of customs systems and the progressive harmonisation of border procedures, the project will contribute to the wider objective of creating one integrated African market in which goods can move more efficiently across borders.
Implementation arrangements will be developed in consultation with participating State Parties, national customs administrations and other relevant stakeholders.
About the AfCFTA
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, the African Union’s long-term development strategy. The Agreement establishing the AfCFTA entered into force on 30 May 2019 and brings together the 55 Member States of the African Union in a single market of about 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion. The AfCFTA is the largest free trade area in the world by number of participating countries. The AfCFTA Secretariat, based in Accra, Ghana, and led by Secretary-General H.E. Wamkele Mene, coordinates implementation of the Agreement in cooperation with State Parties, the Regional Economic Communities and continental institutions.
Media contact
Alexandre Siewe
Senior Advisor, Communications — AfCFTA Secretariat
Email: Alexandre.Siewe@au-afcfta.org Web: au-afcfta.org
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