Tag: Nigeria Customs Service

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated a total of N658.6 billion in revenue for September 2025, reflecting the impact of ongoing reforms designed to enhance trade efficiency and block revenue leakages across the nation’s ports and borders.

Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, disclosed this on Monday during the Monthly National Joint Security Press Briefing in Abuja, organized by the NOA in collaboration with security, paramilitary, and regulatory agencies.

Issa-Onilu said the impressive revenue performance underscores Customs’ steady progress in reform, innovation, and stakeholder confidence under the leadership of Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi.

“In the month of September, the NCS recorded a total revenue collection of N658,605,400,392. This figure demonstrates the Service’s sustained fiscal performance amid ongoing reforms and heightened enforcement efforts. It reflects the cumulative contributions of various commands and operations aligning with the broader strategy to strengthen revenue mobilization and minimize leakages across the system,” he stated.

Highlighting increased collaboration with key sectors, Issa-Onilu noted that the NCS held a high-level strategic meeting with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) during the review period to harmonize trade policies and promote industrial growth.

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According to him, the engagement reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to a reform agenda anchored on collaboration, inclusiveness, and shared responsibility for national development.

“The engagement also reflected the Service’s recognition of the manufacturing sector as a key partner in national productivity and a driver of Nigeria’s non-oil revenue diversification efforts,” he added.

To further accelerate clearance processes and ease trade bottlenecks, Customs introduced a One-Stop-Shop platform—an innovation aimed at integrating cargo clearance procedures and enhancing coordination among port stakeholders.

Issa-Onilu described the platform as a major step toward improving trade efficiency, reducing delays, and enhancing service delivery across the trade ecosystem.

On enforcement, he revealed that officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A made significant interceptions within the Southwest region, including firearms, industrial drones, and other prohibited items, as part of ongoing efforts to safeguard national security and ensure compliance with trade regulations.

He said, “This operation exemplifies the Service’s vigilance, operational intelligence, and unwavering resolve to safeguard national borders against illicit trade and transnational threats.

“The interception further reinforces the Service’s dual mandate of trade facilitation and security enforcement, ensuring that legitimate trade thrives while threats to national safety are neutralized.”

Beyond its fiscal and enforcement strides, the Service, Issa-Onilu said, also extended its impact to social and institutional collaboration. He noted that the agency supported sister organizations and engaged in community development initiatives across various formations, demonstrating its commitment to corporate social responsibility.

He added that the commendation by the Board of Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) serves as external validation of the Service’s institutional renewal and professionalism.

“The feat recorded in September stands as evidence that the Service is not merely evolving; it is setting new standards in institutional excellence, reform communication, and national service delivery,” Issa-Onilu remarked.

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has once again earned global recognition for excellence in communication as it received the Golden World Award (GWA) for Impactful PR in Customs Management at the 2025 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Gala held at the weekend, in Accra, Ghana.

Presented by IPRA President Nataša Pavlović Bujas during the Golden World Awards Gala Night, the international PR body recognised the Nigeria Customs Service for its Impactful Public Relations in Customs Management.

The winning entry, a publication authored by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, documents the Comptroller-General of Customs’ progressive communication strategies and has since evolved into a strategic framework for public relations scholarship in Nigeria.

According to Philip Sheppard, Secretary-General of IPRA, the publication provides practical strategies for organisations. It showcases real-life applications of PR leadership drawn from the reforms of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.

Receiving the award on behalf of the Service, the National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller of Customs (AC) Abdullahi Maiwada, expressed profound appreciation to IPRA for the recognition, stating that it reinforces the Service’s vision for institutional credibility and proactive communication.

 “This award is a validation of the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to professionalism, transparency, and stakeholder engagement,” Maiwada said. “Under the leadership of the Comptroller-General, we have repositioned communication as a strategic tool for reform and trust-building.”

It will be recalled that the Service was earlier honoured in 2024 with the prestigious GWA for Crisis Communication at the IPRA Gala in Belgrade, Serbia. This year’s award builds on that feat, highlighting NCS’s consistent innovation in communication and reputation management.

The award ceremony formed part of the Public Relations Knowledge Sharing Conference held from Wednesday, 1st to Friday, 3rd October 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre.

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The conference, themed “Global Realities and Innovative Communication,” was attended by leading communication experts, including Dr Ike Neliaku, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); Nataša Pavlović Bujas, President of IPRA; Arik Karani, President of the African Public Relations Association (APRA); and Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana, among other PR professionals across Africa.

At the closing session of the conference earlier on Friday, the President of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, urged public relations professionals to uphold the highest standards of ethics and competence in their practice.

 “As communicators, you hold the power to shape narratives and influence public trust,” President Mahama said. “Our continent needs professionals who communicate with integrity, clarity, and purpose to support national development.”

Also speaking at the Gala night, Ghana’s Vice President, H.E. Jane Nana, congratulated all the awardees, commending their contributions to advancing strategic communication globally.

To crown the night, Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana, assumed the mantle as the new President of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), succeeding Nataša Pavlović Bujas. Her emergence as the first African to lead the 70-year-old global body marks a historic milestone and a moment of pride for the continent’s communication professionals.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Port Command, will soon start to examine 200 containers per hour, following the expected arrival of three brand new scanners at the port.

The plan was disclosed in Lagos yesterday, by its Area Controller, Comptroller Oluwadare Oshoba

Oshoba therefore, urged stakeholders and port users to brace up for more seamless trade process.

Speaking  after inspecting the location for the installation of the three new scanners at the Apapa port,  Oshoba disclosed that the Command is ready to surpass expectations as no consignment will escape high-tech-driven, non-intrusive inspection as the scanners would be strategically positioned close to the berthing area.

While describing the quay side location of the scanners as a masterstroke, he commended the Comptroller of the Service, Adewale Adeniyi for his relentless commitment to modernisation while also urging officers to prepare for intensive train-the-trainer sessions, as the next phase after installation.

Oshoba also advised the ICT officers to improve on capacity building for tier one and tier two levels of maintenance of the scanners, which are first of its kind in the West and Central Africa subregion

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He described the feat as a great milestone about to happen and advised port users, especially importers, exporters and their agents to uphold the tenet of sincere declaration as all false declarations and concealment would be exposed by the technology.

According to him, ”I want to on behalf of our officers and men, thank the CGC for leading us through an era of revolutionary customs modernisation. The coming of these scanners is one of the many great fruits we shall be harvesting from the modernisation project

 “Our partners, the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP), have assured us that the installation would last for 45 days, and we are expecting two units of scanners from them with an additional one from APM Terminals. These three scanners would ensure that there is no downtime for cargo examination here and reinforce our position as the number one destination for port activities in Nigeria

 “All hands must be on deck to see to the full realisation of this dream which would save time, increase revenue, enhance national security, promote trade and prevent port related crimes from the earliest point of entry” The CAC said.

Also speaking on the development, the TMP Team Leader, Aliyu Suleiman, gave details on the scanners produced by Nuctech in China.

He described them as the NUCTECH FS6000 with a high-throughput, non-intrusive, drive-through X-ray inspection system for cargo and vehicles.

He added that the scanners use high-penetration dual-energy X-ray transmission technology to inspect trucks and containers in one pass at speeds up to 15 km/h, allowing for non-stop inspection at busy locations like ports and border crossings.

According to the expert, the system provides detailed images that help identify concealed contraband and dangerous materials, and its compact, modular design allows for easy relocation and integration with other systems like License Plate Recognition (LPR) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

In addition to the three fixed scanners about being installed, APM Terminals has also promised to provide a mobile scanner to serve as support in the event of unexpected downtime.

The Licensed Customs Agents have expressed concerns over the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) proposal to increase the Customs Agents License fees.

They described the current N200,000 annual renewal levy as an “overburdened” and “outrageous” charge that “contravenes international best practice” and “threatens to collapse their profession”.

The agents therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to halt the proposed increase. They based their appeal on the grounds that the renewal fee of N200,000 and new registration fee of N500,000 far exceed comparable fees charged by other professional bodies operating in the maritime sector within the country and in other countries like Ghana.

In a petition to the Presidency, the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, stressed that such costs, combined with additional charges of N15,000 for each Customs Area Command, could threaten the livelihood of many in the profession.

“The practitioner operating Customs Agents License in Nigeria is currently overburdened with outrageous fees of N200,000 yearly renewal, with an additional Form C30 charge of N15,000 for each Customs Area Command.

“Any further increase will affect 90 per cent of the workforce in the profession nationwide, and could lead to a complete shutdown of most licensed agency businesses struggling to survive in this difficult economic situation,” Amiwero said.

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The NCMDLCA president cited Ghana as an example of international best practice, noting that customs agents there pay just 100 Ghanaian cedis (approximately N10,000) for new licenses and 70 cedis (about N7,000) for renewals, as approved by the country’s parliament under the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provision) Act, 2022.

“This stands in stark contrast to Nigeria, where customs agents are charged half a million naira for new licenses and N200,000 for renewals,” Amiwero emphasised, adding that the disparity undermines Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional trade facilitation.

The petition also highlighted disparities between customs agents’ license fees and those of other Nigerian professionals.

Drawing comparison with other professional bodies, Amiwero said accountants under the aegis of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) pay N25,000 annually for license renewal; Medical doctors registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) pay between N20,000 and N40,000 depending on their years of experience; Lawyers, under the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), pay between N5,000 and N50,000 annually, depending on their post-call years.

“These figures show how disproportionately high the charges for customs agents are when compared with other critical professions in the country,” Amiwero argued.

He stressed that the license fees are not revenue instruments but are meant to ensure procedural competence in areas such as harmonised system classification, rules of origin, trade policy interpretation, valuation agreements, and treaty compliance.

“The customs agents license fees and bond are for procedural and process performance, not tied to revenue but performance,” Amiwero said.

He further argued that “the Licensed Custom Agency Profession falls under small scale business that is indigenous in nature, self-sustaining without government assistance,” adding there is no formal training provided to Licensed Customs Agents by the Nigeria Customs Service despite evolving processes that require constant capacity building.

The NCMDLCA president maintained that the high fees contradict World Customs Organisation (WCO), World Trade Organisation (WTO), and United Nations recommendations on capacity building for trade facilitators.

Industry stakeholders fear that the continued imposition of high licensing fees will decimate the indigenous customs agency profession, which is largely made up of small and medium-scale enterprises. Amiwero warned that the policy could lead to mass unemployment, increased insecurity around ports, and the concentration of customs agency businesses “in the hands of very few friends of the Service.”

Meanwhile, stakeholders have noted that as the country pushes reforms to achieve greater efficiency and compliance in import-export procedures, addressing the grievances of Licensed Customs Agents—key players in the maritime trade ecosystem—may prove critical to sustaining the gains and preventing disruption in port activities and trade facilitation.

At its launch in 2024, by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the B’Odogwu platform, a home-grown digital technology to address the glitches in Customs operations, was hailed by operators and stakeholders in the maritime sector as Customs’ most ambitious attempt at reform. With “B”, in B’Odogwu, representing the Border, symbolizing all customs processes within Nigeria’s borders, while “Odogwu” reflects strength and efficiency, how has the Service, thus far, leveraged the platform to draw strength and infuse efficiency in its operations?  OLUWAKEMI DAUDA takes a critical look at the initiative’s implementation.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in October 2024, phased out the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) II, replacing it with the new Unified Customs Management System known as B’Odogwu, a home-grown cutting-edge technology to address the glitches experienced during customs documentation by freight forwarders.

The B’Odogwu does this by incorporating sophisticated digital tools, including electronic cargo tracking, automated risk management and non-intrusive scanners, ensuring a more secure and efficient trade environment for port users. This was why the initiative was seen as a reflection of Nigeria’s ambition to set a new standard in Customs’ administration.

Such ambition is hardly unjustified, especially when juxtaposed with the meaning of the term, B’Odogwu. The “B,” in B’Odogwu, according to the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represents the Border, symbolizing all customs processes within Nigeria’s borders. “Odogwu,” on the other hand, means “great man,” in Igbo parlance, with Customs using it to reflect strength and efficiency.

Barely a year after its introduction, the B’Odogwu platform has become of a subject of intense scrutiny. How has it fared so far? Has the indigenous cutting-edge technology lived to its billing as a major milestone in Nigeria’s Customs reform agenda? To what extent has the Service leveraged this new era of digital transformation espoused by B’Odogwu to modernise its operations?

Also, has the initiative enhanced trade facilitation and improve transparency? How has the platform helped in streamlining cargo clearance, reducing dwell time and improve service delivery while aligning with the Federal Government’s efforts to enhance the ease of doing business across the country’s seaport and border stations?

While it may be too early to do a thorough assessment of the implementation of B’Odogwu, there is no doubt that the initiative is off to a promising start, though with a number of drawbacks. For instance, the B’Odogwu technology, according to Adeniyi, has helped enhance local oversight and data protection for the Service.

The CGC told The Nation that the B’Odogwu was introduced for several reasons, including expiring contract, data security concerns and a desire for greater control over the operations of the Service. He said the platform was developed by a Nigerian firm and it offers enhanced compliance, legitimacy and a more transparent trade environment for the government and the stakeholders.

Indeed, Webb Fontaine, the firm that designed and managed the NICIS 11, had a contract with the Customs that expired between 2021 and 2022. The Nation that with NICIS 11, the Customs felt that data was not fully under its control, and there were concerns about cyber-attacks. Adeniyi, however, said the B’Odogwu platform, which is being indigenously managed, addresses these concerns by providing local oversight and data protection for the Service.

National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Dr. Abdullahi Maiwada, also confirmed that the development of B’Odogwu by Trade Modernisation Project Limited, a Nigerian company, has allowed the NCS to have greater control over its systems and data.

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“The B’Odogwu is designed to enforce compliance and legitimacy, preventing the upload of invalid documents. It aims at creating a more transparent trade environment, making it easier to track and manage transactions,’’ he pointed out.

Maiwada also said the new initiative has boosted trade facilitation. “The new system is designed to facilitate trade by streamlining processes, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and providing stakeholders with more efficient and intelligent business decisions,” he stated, adding that it is part of broader efforts by the NCS to modernise its operations, eliminate inefficiencies and align with international best practices.

The platform, which has been operational and has been successfully implemented at several locations, after the rollout of the system’s pilot phase at the Port & Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) in October 2024, is also said to have made good its promise to automate and streamline cargo clearance, as well as enhance transparency and revenue collection.

For instance, on the strength of B’odogwu’s implementation since October 2024, the PTML Command of the NCS recently swelled the Federal Government’s purse with a total of N230 billion. Encouraged by this feat, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) in charge of PTML Command, Tenny Daniyan, described B’Odogwu as a Nigerian digital technology that has come to change the narrative in customs operations.

Daniyan’s words: “B’Odogwu is working and it’s working for us, we have realised over N230 billion so far on the platform. If it is not working with you, it means you are not doing the right thing. …It’s our baby because we don’t need a third party to do anything for us.

“It is fully Nigerian, unlike the NICIS when you have issues you will have to translate and then send to a foreign country before the problem can be solved. In the last four months and few weeks, the command has generated a total sum of N147.3 billion revenue, an index that showed that B’Odugwu is working well.”

Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, ICT, Kikelomo Adeola, described B’Odogwu as user-friendly, noting that it integrates advanced technology for real-time trade monitoring. Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Chinyere Nwachukwu, also highlighted its effectiveness in reducing cargo clearance times, which now takes less than eight hours—provided traders comply with accurate declaration procedures.

Also, the Managing Director of Trade Modernisation Project Limited, Dr. Jummai Zainab Umar-Ajijola, described B’Odogwu as a game-changer. She stressed that its successful deployment has enhanced trade competitiveness, making it a model for other African countries seeking to digitalise their Customs processes.

Stakeholders in the logistics and trade industry have also praised the initiative. The CEO of Tallman Logistics Limited, Abdul-Rahman Elias, commended its potential to eliminate trade delays and enhance compliance. A manager at Libra Circle Limited, Juliet Anyaegbu, lauded the system’s ability to simplify trade documentation and reduce human interference in Customs processes.

The Regional Trade Facilitation Committee (RTFC) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also commended the NCS for its impressive revenue growth and improved efficiency following the introduction of B’Odogwu.

The ECOWAS Director of Trade, Kolawole Sofola, during a visit to the PTML Command, the pilot site for B’Odogwu, praised the Federal Government for backing the NCS in deploying the innovative system.

He noted that B’Odogwu has significantly reduced cargo clearance time to just two hours and recorded an impressive N5.6 billion in revenue in one day. Sofola applauded Adeniyi and PTML Command for their strides in trade facilitation and revenue generation.

“We came here to learn as a regional trade facilitation committee, consisting of all ECOWAS member states and we are very glad to have noted a very good practice in Nigeria. What Nigeria has been doing is evolving with the times.

“They have moved from one system to improve to another system, to finally move to this system which is homegrown. This command and, in general, the Nigerian Customs Service is doing well in promoting economic growth,” he said.

The afore-mentioned deliverables and positive feedback are hardly unexpected. Recall that at the launch of the new technology’s pilot phase at PTML, late last year in Lagos, Adeniyi said: “B’Odogwu is a new Customs management system that embodies our vision for a paperless Customs administration that facilitates seamless trade while maintaining robust security measures.

“It will eventually replace the current NICIS II, a technology used in conducting risk assessment activity. The system has been developed with foresight, acknowledging that the National Single Window will be coming on board soon, and B’Odogwu will be integrated with it when implemented by the Federal Government.

“The initiative is supported by sections 28 and 29 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which empowers the Customs to develop, maintain and employ electronic systems while ensuring transparency and stakeholder consultation.”

The Customs boss urged stakeholders to embrace the change with optimism and provide feedback that will help improve the system. “B’Odogwu will enhance our ability to streamline end-to-end business processes, provide stakeholders with customised integration capabilities, support more efficient and intelligent business decisions and facilitate ease of business,” he said.

New platform, fresh challenges

Although, Adeniyi urged officers of the Service to take training on the platform seriously as they will implement it in other commands, there is no time than now to prioritise such training in view of some implementation challenges that have come in the wake of the introduction of the ambitious B’Odogwu technology.

Indeed, there have been glitches, bank integration issues and lack of knowledge among stakeholders since the technology came into force.

The former President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shitu, said: “While the B’Odogwu platform aims at streamlining Customs clearance and increase revenue, its implementation has been hampered by technical problems, resistance from some banks and insufficient training for users.

Shittu, while admitting that the B’Odogwu platform, like any new technology, has experienced glitches and technical issues, also said the system faced bank integration challenges.

He said at the initial stage, some Authorised Dealer Banks (ADBs) were hesitant to integrate into the system, causing bottlenecks in processing payments and raising Form ‘M’ which led to delays and difficulties for importers and clearing agents.

The ANLCA former president added that many stakeholders, including clearing agents, importers, and shipping companies have not fully grasped the platform’s functionality, leading to difficulties in using it and potentially slowing down the clearance process.

Operators and stakeholders are also screaming blue murder inefficiency in exchange rate communication. For instance, a motor vehicle importer, Obafemi Adebiyi, lamented that manual communication of exchange rates from the Central Bank to Customs slows down duty collection.

Smoothening the rough edges

Despite the initial resistance by some ADBs, which delayed integration, the CBN has now instructed all financial institutions to comply with the new system. CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso reassured the NCS of the CBN’s commitment to ensuring the success of B’Odogwu, recognising its potential to enhance financial transactions within the trade ecosystem.

“Our commitment is to provide the necessary support so that the banking sector aligns with this transition,” Cardoso said, assuring that the apex bank will work towards ensuring compliance among commercial banks with directives to improve trade processes and enhance revenue collection efficiency.

Other critical stakeholders, who spoke with The Nation said training programmes for Customs officers, importers, clearing agents and bank officials will be crucial for smooth adoption. They also stressed the need for the Federal Government to enforce compliance among financial institutions while continuously improving the system’s functionalities to ensure long-term success.

Also, leveraging emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain, according to them, will further strengthen security and efficiency. Public awareness campaigns should also be launched to educate stakeholders about B’Odogwu and encourage its widespread adoption.

They added that establishing a robust feedback mechanism will also help address potential challenges and enhance user experience. They insist that with B’Odogwu, Nigeria is taking a bold step towards a fully digital Customs administration.

“If properly implemented and maintained, the B’Odogwu platform will not only improve trade efficiency and revenue collection, but also position Nigeria as a leader in digital customs operations across Africa,” one of the industry stakeholders, who declined to be mentioned, said.