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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a new Unified Customs Management System code named  (B'Odogwu) to replace the current Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS II). The pilot phase, which started at Port & Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) command of the service took place on Wednesday, 23rd October 2024 in Lagos. Speaking at the event, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR  stated that the innovative platform represents a significant milestone in Nigeria Customs' modernisation journey, aligning with global best practices. His words, "B'Odogwu is our new customs management system that embodies our vision for a paperless customs administration that facilitates seamless trade while maintaining robust security measures; "It is important to note that B'Odogwu will eventually replace the current Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS II) as the NCS Legacy System. The system has been dev...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been awarded the prestigious Golden World Award (GWA) for Crisis Communication by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA). The award, recognising NCS’s outstanding public relations efforts, was presented during a grand ceremony on October 18, 2024, at the Metropol Palace Hotel in Belgrade, Serbia. Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi received the award on behalf of the NCS from IPRA President Nataša Pavlović Bujas. The recognition came from the “100 Days of Impactful PR at Customs Service” campaign. According to a statement released by the Public Relations Officer of NCS, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, the Comptroller-General while speaking at the event, highlighted the campaign's impact, noting how it addressed critical challenges during his first 100 days in office. “The campaign was about crisis communication,” said Adeniyi. “The entry submitted during this period was recognised as the best, from the perspective of add...

The Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of Nigeria Customs Service said it generated a total sum of N239,233,530,265.48 as revenue from  January to September 2024. The Controller of the command, Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan, accident to a statement from the command's Public Relations Officer, CSC Mohammed Yakubu disclosed that the total collection for January to September 2024 is N53,448,500,240 higher than the N185,785,030,025.47 collected for January to September 2023, showing a 29 percent increase. The statement also revealed that on anti smuggling, the command made seizures of various goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N28,478,034.76. The command, within the same period under review, made seizures  arms and ammunition comprising of 2 pistols , 260 ammunition, empty shells and cartridges of different types. Breakdown of the seizures announced by the Command includes;  SEIZURES MADE FROM CONTAINER. 1. 1x40ft container No: ACLU9664782 found to contai...

In an effort to enhance trade facilitation across the African continent, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Committee, held a one-day workshop on 17 October 2024 at the Bolton White Hotel in Abuja.  The event brought together key officers of the NCS, including Area Controllers and representatives from the AfCFTA Coordination Office, to discuss strategies for improving trade across Africa. In his opening remarks, Segun Awolowo, National Coordinator of the AfCFTA Committee, highlighted the immense potential of AfCFTA in transforming Africa's economic landscape. He emphasised the agreement’s role in eliminating tariffs on most goods and services, reducing barriers to capital and labour, and creating a more favourable environment for investment across the continent. "The objective of today's workshop is to highlight the crucial role played by our trade exit points, the vital function of our por...

The Apapa Port Command of the  Nigeria Customs Service in it's fight against smuggling of illicit drugs and offensive importation into the country, has busted a smuggling attempt of illicit drugs worth a total of N1,183,915,500 (one billion, one hundred and eighty three million, nine hundred and fifteen thousand, five hundred naira) concealed in 4 units of 40ft containers. Breakdown of the seizures includes, 236,783 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine and barkadin cough syrup packed in a total of 2,174 cartons from two terminals under the command. Three of the seizures were made in APM Terminals and one was made at Kachicares Bonded Terminal. Giving further details on the seizures, the  Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, according to a press release by the command's Public Relations Officer, CSC Usman Abubakar , described the seizure as a fallout of the service zero tolerance for smuggling in the command . Comptroller Olomu said, ...

The SIFAX Group has joined other corporate organisations across the globe to mark the 2024 Customer Service Week in a rather grand style. The Group, as part of this year's celebrations highlighted the strategic role customers and employees play in the growth and survival of its various businesses as it's stakeholders have been described as the blood that businesses need to grow. This was disclosed as the company celebrated the 2024 annual Customer Service Week with the theme “Above and Beyond” Speaking at the grand finale of the week-long celebration, Group Coordinating Director, SIFAX Group, Wunmi Eniola-Jegede, said no business can survive without these two key stakeholders. According to her,  “This week presents the company another good opportunity to celebrate our customers who have continued to keep our businesses going across all our subsidiaries; The customer is king, and we recognize the logic behind this popular saying. The customer determines whether a ...

In an effort to enhance Intra African Trade and foster deeper economic integration, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, recently engaged in a high-level meeting with the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene and other stakeholders on the margins of the Biashara Afrika 2024 forum, hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, from 9th to 11th October 2024.  According to a press statement by the service image maker, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, the meeting between the CGC and the Secretary-General provided a unique opportunity to refine strategies aimed at improving trade facilitation under the AfCFTA agreement. Ok The discussions, which centered on addressing existing bottlenecks and encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the agreement, given their critical role in boosting intra-African trade with particular emphasis on the role of Customs in these efforts. The Se...

The Nigeria Customers Service (NCS)  has extended the ongoing verification exercise on duty recovery for privately owned owed aircrafts. This was contained in a press release issued on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR by the Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs CSC Abdullahi Maiwada. The release reads in full,  "The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) wishes to inform the general public, particularly operators of privately-owned aircraft, that the verification exercise for the recovery of import duties on illegally imported private aircraft has been extended by one month, from Monday, 14th October 2024, to Thursday, 14th November 2024.". "This extension is to further engage operators who have expressed willingness to regularize their import duties, providing them with an additional window to comply with the necessary regulations. The NCS is committed to ensuring that all illegally imported aircraft mee...

Following Nigeria's quest to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change,  the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, Kaduna as part of it's Corporate Social Responsibility initiative has collaborated with the Nigeria Red Cross Society Kaduna North Division in tackling the effects of climate change on the environment. At a 3-day retreat held at the National Teachers Institute, Kaduna, the Customs Area Controller of the Feral Operations Unit, Zone B, Comptroller Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu in a pivotal paper presentation at the event, highlighted the role of the Nigeria Customs Service in mitigating the pressing issue of climate change in Nigeria The  retreat, with a theme "Youth Involvement In Tackling Climate Change In Our Community" was jointly organized by the Red Cross Society, Kaduna North Division in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit B Kaduna was held between  6th  to 9th October 2024. Ac...

A Former Minister of Transportation, Rt Honourable Rotimi Amaechi, who can be said to have been so quite since he lost the APC Presidential primaries in 2023 has expressed his sadness and displeasure with Nigerians for accepting the current economic hardship in the country. The former minister had, in a recent interview shared on X handle said he expected Nigerians to be angry over the situation of the country as orchestrated by the president Tinubu administration. The one time Rivers state governor said he had expected Nigerians to boycott elections in protest against politicians while lamenting  over the present cost pf diesel and other essentials in the country. In his words, “I’m angry with the citizens. I’ve said it several times. “You can’t see a group of people stealing your money impoverishing you, you can’t buy fuel, you can’t buy anything; “Look at what happened in Edo. Should any politician be campaigning in Edo? People should be angry. “There should be protest against p...

Following the recent violence and arson occasioned by the local government elections and swearing in of elected chairmen in Rivers state, Governor of the oil rich state,  Siminalayi Fubara has inaugurated a seven-member Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the recent arson, killings, and destruction of property at various Local Government Council Headquarters in the state. This announcement was made in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, on Tuesday. The commission, which is to be chaired by Justice Ibiwengi Roseline Minakiri, is expected to complete their investigation within the next one month. Other members of the commission includes, Inyingi Brown as secretary, Uzor Ikenga as counsel, othe members are, Felicia Nwoke, Blessing Didia, Samuel Egbe, and Venerable Alex Usifor. Governor Fubara, who expressed deep concern over the violent incidents, described them as reminiscent of the unrest during the 2014 electoral period, which result...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), holds a five-day workshop to boost trade facilitation in Post Clearance Audit. The workshop which is currently holding in Abuja is aimed to enhance trade facilitation in Nigeria, runs from 7th October through to 11 October, 2024 in Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria  Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi  MFR, according to a statement from the Public Relations Officer of NCS, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, expressed his gratitude to the WCO, WBG, and IMF for their invaluable contributions to the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) reform efforts. The CGC, who was ably represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Tariff and Trade, Adekunle Oloyode, stated that the workshop is essential for establishing a robust PCA, which complements the Aut...

* Appoints 27 General Managers * Names Onyemekara as GM Corporate & Strategic Communications In a move geared towards repositioning Nigeria’s foremost trade facilitation platform for greater efficiency and renewed contribution to the national economy, the Nigerian Ports Authority has announced new appointments and redeployments of 27 General Managers to support the Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho-led Management in actualizing it’s performance deliverables. This announcement, which was made on Friday by the  Managing Director of the Nigerian ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho in his official X handle also named Mr Ikechukwu Onyemekara  as the General Manager, Corporate & Strategic Communicatons unit of NPA The managing director in the Twitter statement, titled, “rejig as NPA Appoints New General Manager" stated that the new appointment which takes with immediate effect was aimed at repositioning the organisation for greater efficiency,  adding that it was to reorgan...

L-R: DG NIMASA,  Dr. Dayo Mobereola (left), and Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, during a meeting at the IMO headquarters in London. The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, has commended Nigeria for leading the charge to maintain the safety and security of commercial shipping in the Gulf of Guinea, particularly during recent times when the situation in the Red Sea has led to heavier shipping traffic in the region. Arsenio Dominguez stated this during a meeting with the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, at the IMO headquarters in London, also commended the NIMASA DG for engaging the technical team at the IMO on how Nigeria can address all identified gaps from the 2016 audit conducted by the organization. L-R: D G NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola; Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ars...

...As CGC Adeniyi Revitalizes Airwing Operations In a significant step towards strengthening its air surveillance capabilities, the  the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has acquired a Cessna Grand Caravan EX-208B to bolster air surveillance operation. The aircraft, registered as 5N-BAA is set to enhance the Services' air patrol and surveillance efforts. Powered by the reliable PT6 Pratt and Whitney engine, the Cessna Grand Caravan is globally recognised for its rugged versatility, short-field take-off and landing capabilities, and ability to operate on remote airstrips—making it ideally suited for border security operations in Nigeria. The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR who inspected the newly acquired aircraft on Friday, 20 September 2024, in Bartlesville, Washington, USA, emphasized the importance of this acquisition, noting that the aircraft is fitted with the modern Garmin G1000 Avionics cockpit system, enabling operations under day, night, a...

Collects #1.6tr in Nine Months The customs Area Controller of Apapa command of the Nigeria customs Service, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu fsi through diligence, Integrity and continued stakeholders  engagement has improved on the revenue generation of the command and the reductuo smuggling activities at the command. According to a press release issued by the command's spokesman, Usman Abubakar, the command had collected a total sum of N1,610,906,781,421.82k as at the end of the third quarter (January -September 2024, which is higher than N1,172,414,793,960.32k that was collected as total revenue of the year 2023. Customs Area Controller, who identified the N201.8b collected in July 2024 and N193.9b in September 2024 as spectacular figures capable of being replicated again in the last quarter of the year beginning from October. Comptroller Olomu said the various trade facilitation programmes put in place by the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, like advanc...