The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to go fully on paperless cargo clearance by the second quarter of 2026.
New Telegraph reports that the decision was taken to reduce delays, and improve trade facilitation across the nation’s borders.
This was disclosed on Friday during the formal launch of its One-Stop-Shop (OSS) platform in Lagos, under the theme: “Enhancing trade facilitation through integrated risk intervention, faster clearance process and efficient dispute resolution.
The platform targets a 48-hour clearance window, lower compliance costs, stronger revenue assurance, and enhanced transparency.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, represented at the event by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Timi Bomodi explained that the delays at ports were often caused not by the time taken for inspections but by fragmented procedures, overlapping checks, and idle waiting times, adding that national assessments, Nigeria’s Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organisation, and the service’s Time Release Study (TRS) all highlighted these bottlenecks as increasing trade costs and weakening confidence.
He described the OSS as a continuation of trust-based engagement with the trading community and part of a broader digital transformation.
He recalled last year’s launch of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and said that the OSS reflects the service’s commitment, under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to predictable, transparent, and accountable border processes that enhanc investment and competitiveness.
He said: “To tackle these challenges, 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,”
He added that the paperless initiative, starting with core clearance, documentation, and approvals, is scheduled for rollout by the end of the second quarter.
Adeniyi stressed that this would reduce physical interfaces, improve processing speed, and strengthen audit controls.
The comptroller general
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, the 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. Niagwan stressed: “Your involvement is crucial to achieving the objectives of the One-Stop-Shop. Active participation from all teams will ensure the platform’s success.”
In a goodwill message, the Director General Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) who was represented by Mr. Segun Oshidipe lauded Customs for improving the ease of doing business.
He said the OSS represents a deliberate step to streamline procedures, reduce bottlenecks, enhance inter-agency coordination, and improve operations at ports and borders.
Oshidipe praised the creation of an open forum where stakeholders can voice concerns and propose practical solutions, emphasizing that collaboration and transparency are essential to building trust, driving reforms, and strengthening Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
