At the invitation of the Vice-Chair of the WCO West and Central Africa (WCA) region, WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, attended the Regional Conference of Directors General of Customs, held on 4 and 5 May in Banjul, The Gambia, and hosted by the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA).
The President of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Adama Barrow, opened the Conference by underlying the crucial importance of Customs, and the need of regional administrations for capacity building.
The Commissioner General of the GRA, Mr. Yankuba Darboe, spoke about the progress made by his administration, particularly in terms of human development, with the support of the WCO.
The Vice-Chair of the WCA region and Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali, stressed the importance of regional cooperation while thanking GRA for its hospitality.
Secretary General Mikuriya also thanked the GRA for its warm welcome, highlighted the relevance of the WCO theme of the year, “Nurturing the Next Generation”, for Customs administrations in Africa, and underscored the huge potential for growth in trade with a young population.
The Conference reviewed the regional strategic plan and took several decisions on Members’ contributions to support regional capacity building activities, as well as regional representation at the WCO.