The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) commenced a sensitisation programme on Monday on the full automation of its licences and permits processes in order to curb fraudulent practices and boost trade facilitation.
According to the service, the system would not only reduce costs and save time for trade operators but would also help detect fraudulent documents automatically and improve revenue generation for the Federal Government.
The launch of the automation held at the Customs Training College Auditorium in Ikeja, Lagos, is designed to eliminate the longstanding bottlenecks that have characterised the manual processing of trade licences and permits.
The programme, which is being conducted simultaneously across all zones of the service, was organised to acquaint stakeholders with the new digital system before its full implementation.
It was anchored by the Comptroller of the Licences and Permits Unit under the Tariff and Trade Department, Comptroller Ngozika Anozie, and graced by the Zonal Coordinator of Zone A, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Mohammed Babandede, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
Under the new system, importers, clearing agents, ship chandlers and freight forwarders will no longer need to travel to Customs offices or the service’s headquarters in Abuja to apply for or renew licences and permits.
The entire process can be completed digitally from any location, with real-time tracking of application status.
At the event, ACG Babandede described the initiative as the beginning of a new chapter in service delivery, noting that Zone A, as the most economically active zone in the country, bore particular responsibility for getting the transition right.
He said the reform was a direct response to years of complaints about paperwork, long queues, and the opacity of manual processing.
He explained: “For stakeholders, automation means that you will no longer have to go to a Customs office simply to apply for or renew a licence or permit. You will be able to do this from your office or even from your phone.
“It means your applications will be processed faster. It means you will be able to track the status of your application in real time. It means that the process will be the same for everyone, fair, consistent, and without the risk of error that comes with manual records.
“For the service, automation means better record keeping, easier supervision, and the ability to serve more stakeholders at once without increasing the burden on our officers. We know that change, even when it is for the better, can feel uncomfortable at first. I want to assure you that the team here today, led by the Comptroller of the Licences and Permits Unit, will walk you through every step of the new system.”
Also, Comptroller Anozie, in her address, outlined the broader benefits of the automation drive, tying it to the Comptroller General’s three-point agenda of Consolidation, Collaboration, and Innovation, adding that the system would not only reduce costs and save time for trade operators, but would also help detect fraudulent documents automatically and allow the licences and permits unit to cross-check for unpaid assessments through the B’Odogwu platform before processing applications.
She added that every licence and permit issued translates into revenue for the federal government, making the increased efficiency of the automated system directly beneficial to national earnings.
According to her, officers across various Customs area commands had already received training ahead of the rollout.
She said: “Ultimately, this automation will enhance the statutory revenue generation duties of the Nigeria Customs Service, because fees are paid into the coffers of government with every single licence and permit processed; imports are made with the permits, the clearing processes are stamped with the licences given and obviously, revenue is generated.
“So, the more licences and permits we issue or renew, the more revenue we would generate for NCS and Nigeria economy. Automation elicits more efficiency and productivity from the officers as they leverage the seamlessness of the process to work on more documents in minutes with greater output.”
Also, the Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Segun Oduntan, commended the service for the laudable initiative, noting that the automation was long overdue.
He advised all practitioners to ensure that accurate information is input into the system while trying to generate renewal of licenses and permits, even as he assured that the association would carry out an internal sensitisation of its members.
