The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to flood the seaports nationwide with fresh scanners to facilitate trade.
Hosting foreign diplomats to an end- of-the-year dinner at the Customs headquarters in Abuja recently, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who unveiled this recently, said that it was part of his vision for comprehensive automation of customs processes with a view to foster seamless trade at all the customs ports in the country.
The audience included the British High Commissioner to Nigeria; ambassadors of the United States and Germany; and representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, as well as the World Bank, emphasised his commitment to leverage new technological advancements to achieve his objective of creating a new automated customs.
According to him, the plans included massive installation of scanners, implementing data analytics, and embracing open-door policies to collaborate with stakeholders towards the ultimate facilitation of trade in the country.
He said: “Now that we have a new government and I took over in the middle of this year, we have a lot of explanations to make to all our stakeholders.
“We have a responsibility to carry out massive sensitization of awareness on the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023″.
To enhance the ongoing plans, he said all Customs Area Controllers would be engaged in the process to ensuring their comprehensive understanding of the Act in order to enhance their work.
Describing the new Act as “user friendly”, the CGC highlighted its provisions that favour trade facilitation in Nigeria.
To underscore the Act’s focus on deployment of automation processes, Adeniyi said that the use of a single window and authorised economy, incorporating Advanced Ruling, and expanding the use of scanners signals a move towards modernisation.
On wildlife smuggling, he assured the diplomats of the commitment of NCS to sustaining the battle against illicit wildlife trade in Nigeria.
While highlighting the collaborative efforts with stakeholders, he specifically pointed out the importance of international cooperation in customs activities.
The diplomats praised the NCS’s dedication and pledged further pledged their ongoing collaboration to combat wildlife trafficking and related criminal activities.
The dinner was attended by the NCS management team.
