The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it achieved N6.1 trillion in revenue collection in 2024, marking a 90.4% year-on-year increase, largely driven by the adoption of digital platforms, including the homegrown, B’Odogwu.

Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of Customs, says that this performance surpassed the NCS’s target by 20.2%, with the B’Odogwu customs clearance platform playing a key role in processing billions of naira worth of transactions.

The Comptroller-General, attributes this to “strategic reforms, innovative processes, and the adoption of advanced technologies such as the indigenous B’Odogwu customs clearance platform, which has processed transactions worth billions of naira.”

Customs: B’Odogwu ‘cutting down bottlenecks at Nigeria ports’

Adeniyi made this known during the International Customs Day celebrations held in Abuja on Monday.

Launched as part of NCS’s broader digital transformation, the B’Odogwu platform has modernised customs processes, reducing delays and increasing efficiency, according to the Customs service.

In a statement in October 2024, Adeniyi described the system as embodying Customs’s “vision for a paperless customs administration that facilitates seamless trade while maintaining robust security measures.”

The system enables traders and importers to quickly clear their goods, significantly cutting down on bottlenecks at Nigeria’s busy ports. Adeniyi noted that the platform’s ability to process transactions seamlessly has greatly contributed to the NCS’s financial success.

In December 2024, the Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Area Command integrated over 5 banks with 17 on the Interswitch payment platform expected to join later, into the B’Odogwu platform. Comptroller Tenny Daniyan of PTML Command said that the platform has improved vessel turnaround times and debunked claims of stranded vessels due to system failures. He revealed that the first transaction on the platform involved a payment of over  ₦2.55 billion. 

The NCS says it also focused on enhancing trade facilitation through initiatives like the Advanced Ruling System and the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme. The AEO programme, in particular, has been a game-changer for certified businesses, reducing cargo clearance time by 66.9%. Adeniyi explains that these reforms have not only made the clearance process faster but also more predictable, benefiting both the economy and the business community.

Beyond trade facilitation, the NCS has been using technology to bolster border security. Adeniyi highlighted the integration of geo-spatial tools and enhanced risk assessment systems, which help the NCS tackle illicit activities such as smuggling, money laundering, and wildlife trafficking. These technologies enable the service to quickly identify high-risk shipments and take action accordingly.

The NCS’s technological efforts align with the goals of the World Customs Organization (WCO), which advocates for modern customs systems that balance efficiency with security.

Ian Sanders, WCO Secretary-General, ”urged members to transform commitments into measurable actions and emphasised the importance of modernisation, data-driven operations, and public-private cooperation in achieving the WCO objectives.”