The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched the automation of its licenses and permits to reduce the cost of doing business, enhance trade facilitation, reduce human interaction, increase efficiency and eliminating manual applications to speed up cargo processing times at the ports and minimise movement risks for stakeholders.

This initiative, the Service said, is part of a broader “e-Customs” or trade modernisation project initiated by its Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi aimed at digitalising procedures, curbing smuggling and help in streamlining payments and assist in eradicating fraudulent practices at the port and land border stations.

The programme, which is being conducted simultaneously across all its Zones across the country, was organised to acquaint stakeholders with the new digital system before its full implementation.

Speaking at the forum in Lagos, yesterday, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Mohammed Babandede, who represented Adeniyi, described the initiative as the beginning of a new chapter in service delivery, noting that Zone A, as the most economically active zone in the country, bore particular responsibility for getting the transition right.

“For Stakeholders, automation means that you will no longer have to go to a Customs office simply to apply for or renew a licence or permit. You will be able to do this from your office or even from your phone.

“It means your applications will be processed faster. It means you will be able to track the status of your application in real time. And it means that the process will be the same for everyone, fair, consistent, and without the risk of error that comes with manual records.

“For the Service, automation means better record keeping, easier supervision, and the ability to serve more Stakeholders at once without increasing the burden on our officers. We know that change, even when it is for the better, can feel uncomfortable at first. I want to assure you that the team here today, led by the Comptroller of the Licences and Permits Unit, will walk you through every step of the new system,” he said.

Babandede added that yhe reform was a direct response to years of complaints about paperwork, long queues, and the opacity of manual processing

Also, the Comptroller of the Licences and Permits Unit under the Tariff and Trade Department, Comptroller Ngozika Anozie, said the Service operates a dedicated portal for the application of operational licenses and permits, designed to streamline submissions and improve compliance and transparency.

Under the new system, importers, clearing agents, and other traders will no longer need to travel to Customs offices or the Service’s headquarters in Abuja to apply for or renew licences and permits. The entire process, she said, “can be completed digitally from any location, with real-time tracking of application status.”

Anozie outlined the broader benefits of the automation drive, tying it to the Comptroller-General’s three-point agenda of Consolidation, Collaboration, and Innovation.

She explained that the system would not only reduce costs and save time for trade operators, but would also help detect fraudulent documents automatically and allow the Licences and Permits Unit to cross-check for unpaid assessments through the B’Odogwu platform before processing applications.

She added that every licence and permit issued translates into revenue for the federal government, making the increased efficiency of the automated system directly beneficial to national earnings.

According to her, officers across various Customs Area Commands have already received training ahead of the rollout.

Speaking on the benefits of the automation, she said, “Ultimately, this automation will enhance the statutory revenue generation duties of the Nigeria Customs Service, because fees are paid into the coffers of government with every single licence and permit processed; imports are made with the permits, the clearing processes are stamped with the licences given and obviously, revenue is generated.

“So, the more licences and permit we issue or renew, the more revenue we would generate for NCS and Nigeria economy.

“Automation elicits more efficiency and productivity from the officers as they leverage on the seamlessness of the process to work on more documents in minutes with greater output.

The highpoint of the event was how stakeholders were provided handbooks and step-by-step posters to guide them in using the new applications to boost their business and facilitate trade

The event attracted a broad cross-section of trade stakeholders, including the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the National Secretary of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), and members of Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) among others. (The Nation)