By AISHA COLE

The Ports and Terminal Multiservices Ltd. (PTML) Customs Command has initiated a fresh round of stakeholder engagement to address and resolve operational challenges linked to the newly introduced B?Odogwu platform. Comptroller Tenny Daniyan, the Customs Area Controller, PTML Command, revealed this during a two-day ?second phase of B?Odogwu stakeholders re-sensitisation? held at the command on Friday.

The B?Odogwu system, an indigenous application developed by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) ICT officers, is the local name for the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS).

Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, officially deployed B?Odogwu at PTML in October 2024. Its name, ?B?Odogwu,? is designed to resonate with stakeholders, signifying ?borders and Customs operations? across all entry points ? seaports, land borders, and airports.

According to Comptroller Daniyan, the sensitisation aims to foster collaboration with stakeholders regarding Customs? digital transformation via B?Odogwu and to overcome difficulties encountered during clearance document processing.

He encouraged stakeholders to directly approach Customs officers for assistance if they experience any platform-related challenges, emphasising the goal to reduce processing times as users gain mastery.

Daniyan highlighted the platform?s initial success, noting the first single goods declaration, valuation, and assessment were successfully processed, with payment completed on Nov. 1, 2024.

He reaffirmed Customs? commitment to national border security and explained that the B?Odogwu application preloads bank codes and essential import details for efficient cargo clearance.

He also stressed the importance of receiving feedback after Form M submission, as incomplete information would prevent system submission.

Assistant Comptroller, NCS, Abass Oladepo reiterated the Custom?s commitment to efficiency, citing 24-hour port operations and a new two-hour cargo clearance initiative.

According to him, on average, the command has achieved port clearance in less than six hours annually.

Oladepo urged importers to embrace honest declarations and avoid duplicate entries to facilitate rapid cargo clearance, warning that improper documentation slows down operations.

He further explained that B?Odogwu integration aligns with the Comptroller-General?s core agenda: Consolidate, Collaborate, and Innovate Customs operations to enhance trade facilitation.

?Stakeholders should not shy away from processing documents online. They should avoid cutting corners and take time to file in proper documentation for their consignment,? Oladepo emphasised.

He added that Customs endeavours to ensure delivery of consignments with documentation issues while they are being resolved.

?We don?t want any kind of delay from our end, but to make Customs work easier, you need to help us by ensuring you fill in proper documentation,? he stated.

Oladepo also cited an April 2025 Central Bank letter affirming B?Odogwu?s permanent status, urging stakeholders to begin opening Form ?M? and Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) directly on the platform.

Alhaji Sulaimon Ayokunle, Secretary of the Association of Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) PTML Chapter, praised Customs for trade facilitation, acknowledging that new platforms often present initial challenges.

He noted that PTML was the pilot command for B?Odogwu and that the current sensitisation addresses initial ?teething problems?.

Ayokunle advocated for other Customs commands to adopt B?Odogwu, contrasting it favorably with the foreign-developed NICIS II system as a homegrown solution for modernising Customs procedures.

?We appreciate the B?Odogwu platform; we cannot afford to lose a second of our time because our job is directly attached to demurrage and rents. We just have to do what is right and at the right time,? Ayokunle stated.

He reiterated the ANLCA?s commitment to collaborating with Customs for trade facilitation and specifically commended Assistant Comptroller Abbas Oladepo, the B?Odogwu Project Manager at PTML, for his encouragement of stakeholder integration.

Ayokunle also highlighted challenges like technology and lighting, calling for increased commitment from both Customs officers and stakeholders for the system?s smooth operation.

Mr Afeez Balogun, Manager, TDI Group, Clearing Agent, confirmed that B?Odogwu had reduced costs and enabled them to clear more cargo.

While acknowledging some staff challenges with the new system, he expressed confidence in future integration.

Balogun commended the continuous sensitisation and hoped for further stakeholder improvement.

He also raised a specific technical issue regarding the ?Port of Discharge (POD)? field on the platform, noting that PTML is not yet an selectable option, in spite of importers being advised to ship to Grimaldi port at PTML.

Similarly, Mrs Chibuzo Okonkwo, Executive Director of Muchis Chamars Ltd., lauded Customs for reducing damages and appealed to stakeholders to minimise ?abnormalities? in B?Odogwu processing to expedite trade. (NAN)

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