Onne: The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced a sensitisation initiative focused on Cargo Clearance Automation, aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency, and technology-driven processes within their operations. The launch event, held at the Customs Area II Command, Zone C, Onne in Rivers State, signifies a pivotal advancement in the country’s economic landscape.
According to Voice of Nigeria, the Customs Area Controller PH Area 11 Command One, Aliyu Alkali, addressed stakeholders during the event, highlighting the longstanding challenges of congestion, manual documentation, procedural bottlenecks, and prolonged clearance times that have hampered trade facilitation and economic growth. Mr. Alkali emphasized that the new automated cargo clearance and disposal system is designed to position Customs as both a facilitator of trade and a guardian of integrity.
Mr. Alkali elaborated on the transformative reforms brought by the new system, which include enhanced transparency with time-stamped and recorded actions, a simplified process allowing stakeholders to apply and track approvals online, accountability with clear rules and timelines, increased efficiency through faster terminal space clearance, and reduced litigation over disposal. Additionally, the system ensures data integrity by fully automating and integrating documents from application to disposal records with the Customs Service.
The reform is supported by the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which provides the legal foundation for electronic processing, timelines for overtime cargo, and disposal methods. Mr. Alkali stated that the Act empowers the service to manage overtime consignments after 120 days, with options for condemnation, auction, or other disposal methods, all facilitated by the new system for clarity, fairness, and speed.
Mr. Alkali urged stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the new process, train their teams to effectively use the e-platform, and engage constructively with Customs officers for quick issue resolution. In a statement, Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi, represented by Special Duties Officer Hadiel Hadison, emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement in the sensitisation exercise as part of the Service’s efforts to enhance its operational approach. He encouraged collaboration, synergy, and team spirit to contribute positively to the nation’s economy.