By AISHA COLE

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun the gradual implementation of the Unified Customs Management System for cargo clearance in Nigerian ports.

Once fully implemented, the homegrown system, named B?Odogwu, will facilitate trade and streamline cargo clearance in under eight hours.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a pre-launch event was held on Monday for stakeholders and customs officials at the Apapa and Tincan commands.

Speaking at the event, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, said the Federal Government had stopped renewing contracts with previous service providers due to the new system?s rollout.

According to him, the government initially engaged a service provider to support customs operations, a contract that lasted for over a decade.

?The Federal Government has stopped renewing the contract for the previous provider, which established the NICIS platform.

?Government has now engaged another provider, Trade Modernisation Project (TMP), while Customs has introduced B?Odogwu to offer stakeholders a more robust cargo clearance process,? Adeniyi said.

He described the pre-launch as a significant milestone, marking the transition towards global trade classification under the Trade Modernisation Project.

According to him, B?Odogwu has already shown success, though stakeholders at Port and Cargo Multi Service Ltd (PTML) Customs Command have faced challenges integrating banks into the platform.

?As of Feb. 27, I met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Olayemi Kadoso, who has endorsed B?Odogwu,? Adeniyi added.

He urged stakeholders to continue their collaboration efforts to address challenges before the system?s full implementation.

Adeniyi recalled that when NICIS was introduced in 2013, it faced initial difficulties, which were later resolved with stakeholder support.

He stated that full implementation of B?Odogwu would significantly reduce processing times, minimise errors, and enhance efficiency.

Deputy Comptroller-General for ICT and Trade, Kikelomo Adeola, said initial implementation showed the platform would help lower business costs.

?We prioritise training for stakeholders so they fully understand the process before full implementation at Apapa and Tincan Island,? she said.

Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Zone ?A? Coordinator, Charles Orbih, commended the CGC for introducing three pillars: Conservation, Collaboration, and Innovation.

Orbih noted that the service?s transformative initiative would reshape NCS operations globally. He added that B?Odogwu was first launched in October 2024.

He emphasised that B?Odogwu would position Nigerian ports as a model for customs innovation worldwide.

In his welcome address, the Controller of Apapa Customs Command, Babatunde Olomu, praised the CGC for implementing B?Odogwu to boost revenue generation.

?We have concluded a series of training sessions with stakeholders and officers to ensure effective implementation of the indigenous platform,? he said.

He urged stakeholders to use the pre-launch as an opportunity to highlight challenges so they can be addressed before full implementation.

Controller of PTML, Tenny Daniyan, said processing a Single Goods Declaration (SGD) now takes less than an hour under B?Odogwu.

?PTML Command has generated N120 billion since implementing B?Odogwu and processed 16,000 SGDs.

?Although we faced teething problems at the start, with the CGC?s intervention and discussions with the CBN Governor, our issues have been resolved,? Daniyan said.

B?Odogwu, the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), was developed by NCS ICT officers. It was given an indigenous name to enhance stakeholder engagement. (NAN)

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