Maritime
Customs to Go Paperless by Q2, June ,2026
The Nigeria Customs Service NCS said the service will go fully paperless by the second quarter of 2026
The Service said the move is aimed at fast-tracking cargo clearance, reducing delays, and improving trade facilitation across the nation’s borders.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi made this Known
during the formal launch of its One-Stop-Shop (OSS) platform in Lagos
The theme of the workshop “Enhancing trade facilitation through integrated risk intervention, faster clearance process and efficient dispute resolution.”
Adeniyi was represented Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Timi Bomodi
Adeniyi described the OSS as a continuation of trust-based engagement with the trading community and part of a broader digital transformation.
He recalled 2025 launch of the Authorised Economic Operator programme and said the OSS reflects the Service’s commitment, under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to predictable, transparent, and accountable border processes that enhance investment and competitiveness.
He noted that delays at ports were often caused not by the time taken for inspections but by fragmented procedures, overlapping checks, and idle waiting times.
The Comptroller-Generalssaid National assessments, Nigeria’s Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organization, and the Service’s Time Release Study all highlighted these bottlenecks as increasing trade costs and weakening confidence.
To tackle these challenges, Adeniyi explain that the OSS centralises valuation, processing centres, intelligence, enforcement, compliance monitoring, and gate operations into a single workflow. Digital tracking, automated alerts, joint inspections, and shared dashboards replace multiple fragmented interventions, making all actions traceable, accountable, and coordinated.
“Multiple checkpoints are collapsed into one decision space, with interventions that are collective, fully auditable, and aligned with institutional responsibility,” Adeniyi said.
He noted that the platform targets a 48-hour clearance window, lower compliance costs, stronger revenue assurance, and enhanced transparency.
The Comptroller-General added that the paperless initiative, starting with core clearance, documentation, and approvals, is scheduled for rollout by the end of the second quarter.
“This will reduce physical interfaces, improve processing speed, and strengthen audit controls,” Adeniyi said.
Adeniyi also emphasised the importance of inter-agency collaboration under the “One Government” directive and reaffirmed the Service’s support for the National Single Window initiative, which will complement the OSS by extending coordination across the entire border management ecosystem.
Also Speaking Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Kemen Niagwan noted that OSS adoption began in 2018 but faced challenges, mainly due to communication gaps.
The digital platform now consolidates all risk interventions into a single interface, eliminating procedural complications and improving clearance efficiency.
She urged officers at ports and border stations to take ownership of the process. “Your involvement is crucial to achieving the objectives of the One-Stop-Shop. Active participation from all teams will ensure the platform’s success,” she said.