The Nigeria Customs Service has launched a new digital platform aimed at reducing delays in passenger clearance and improving transparency in customs operations at the country’s international airports.
The platform, known as the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS), was officially unveiled on Monday at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The initiative forms part of the Service’s ongoing modernisation programme designed to digitise customs procedures, strengthen revenue collection and improve the overall travel experience for inbound international passengers.
Speaking during the launch, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the deployment of SCADS as a major step in the Customs Service’s digital transformation agenda under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
According to Adebakin, the platform was developed following operational challenges experienced with the Service’s earlier passenger declaration system earlier in the year. She explained that rather than viewing the setback as a failure, the agency used the opportunity to build a more efficient and reliable platform capable of handling passenger declarations seamlessly.
She said SCADS would enable passengers to declare baggage items electronically before arriving in Nigeria, thereby reducing congestion and long waiting periods often associated with airport clearance procedures.
Adebakin noted that the system is expected to simplify customs processes by eliminating manual bottlenecks, improving compliance and ensuring faster passenger movement through airports.
She further explained that one of the major innovations introduced by the platform is automated duty assessment. According to her, the system calculates duties objectively using data provided by passengers, including the quantity, category and actual value of declared goods.
The Customs official stated that the move would reduce cases of arbitrary assessments and promote transparency in revenue generation.
“When we talk about revenue collection, it is not about collecting more or less. It is about collecting the right revenue. With this system, assessment will now be more objective, accurate and driven by data,” she said.
Industry observers believe the introduction of SCADS could significantly improve operational efficiency at Nigerian airports by reducing physical interactions between officers and passengers, while also limiting opportunities for extortion and delays.
The Customs Area Controller of the FCT Area Command, Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the command for the pilot phase as a strong vote of confidence in its operational capacity.
Alibo disclosed that the pilot phase of the project would run from May 18 to May 22, 2026, during which customs officers and technical teams would monitor the system’s performance in a live airport environment before nationwide deployment.
She explained that the platform integrates passenger baggage declarations and e-commerce declarations into a unified digital framework that aligns with international customs standards and global best practices.
According to her, the adoption of digital customs solutions is becoming increasingly important as global passenger traffic and cross-border e-commerce activities continue to grow.
Stakeholders in the aviation and border management sector have welcomed the initiative, noting that faster and more transparent customs processes could improve Nigeria’s image among international travellers and investors.
The launch ceremony attracted senior customs officers, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner government agencies, aviation stakeholders and members of the technical deployment team responsible for the rollout of the platform.
