The Nigeria Customs Service has introduced a new digital platform aimed at making passenger clearance faster and more efficient at the country’s international airports.
The new system, known as the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System, was launched at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja as part of ongoing efforts to modernise Customs operations and reduce delays faced by travellers.
According to the agency, the platform is designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers while improving transparency, compliance and operational efficiency.
Speaking during the launch, the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the initiative as another important step in the agency’s digital transformation drive.
She explained that the new platform was developed after the Service experienced operational challenges with its previous passenger declaration system earlier in the year.
Rather than allowing the setbacks to affect airport operations, she said the agency decided to create a stronger and more effective solution that would better serve passengers and Customs officials alike.
Adebakin noted that the SCADS platform now gives travellers the opportunity to declare their items before arriving in Nigeria, a move expected to significantly reduce waiting time and ease the clearance process at airports.
She added that the system would also improve compliance and strengthen operational integrity within the Customs process.
According to her, one of the major benefits of the platform is its ability to remove subjective assessments during duty calculations. She explained that duties would now be generated automatically using the quantity, value and type of items declared by passengers.
She stressed that the aim of the new system is not necessarily to increase revenue collection, but to ensure that the correct revenue is assessed and collected through a more transparent and data driven process.
Also speaking at the event, the Customs Area Controller for the FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, said the selection of the command for the pilot phase reflects confidence in its operational strength and capacity.
The launch marks another move by the Nigeria Customs Service to embrace technology in improving efficiency and reducing manual bottlenecks across its operations.
