By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has revealed plans to transition to a fully paperless system before the end of the year, as part of ongoing modernization efforts aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and trade facilitation.
Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Zone A, Mohammed Babandede, disclosed this during an interaction with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week, noting that the initiative is being driven by the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
According to him, the move to a paperless system will eliminate the need for physical documentation in customs processes, enabling importers, exporters, and licensed customs agents to carry out transactions seamlessly, even from their offices.
Babandede explained that significant progress has already been made in automating key processes, including cargo declaration, duty payment, and release procedures, all of which can now be handled digitally.
He added that the full digital transition would further simplify operations within the ports, reduce delays, and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in global trade.
“The goal is to ensure that you don’t have to carry documents from one office to another. Everything will be done online—from declaration to cargo release,” he said.
The ACG noted that the Service has also introduced digital platforms for license renewals and other regulatory processes, reducing the need for physical visits to customs offices.
He emphasized that the paperless initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broader agenda of improving ease of doing business and boosting economic growth through trade facilitation.
Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated for full automation of customs processes, citing delays caused by manual documentation and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
With the planned transition, the Nigeria Customs Service is expected to significantly cut cargo dwell time, improve revenue collection, and strengthen transparency across its operations.
