By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced a two-week Technical Assistance Mission on Post Clearance Audit (PCA) in collaboration with the World Bank Group under the Accelerated Revenue Mobilisation Reform (ARMOR) Programme, aimed at strengthening compliance management, enhancing revenue assurance, and facilitating legitimate trade through modern audit practices.
The workshop, which began on June 1 and will run until June 12, 2026, is being held at the Service’s headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, bringing together customs officers and development partners to advance the agency’s modernisation agenda and improve its post-clearance audit operations.
Delivering opening remarks on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, Assistant Comptroller-General Babatunde Olomu described the mission as a significant milestone in strengthening the Service’s capacity as a technology-driven, intelligence-led and globally competitive customs administration.
Olomu noted that modern customs administrations increasingly rely on intelligence-led, risk-based and post-clearance interventions that promote voluntary compliance while supporting legitimate trade and economic growth. He said the mission provides an opportunity for the Service to assess existing audit processes, identify operational gaps, adopt international best practices and develop practical solutions to improve the Post Clearance Audit framework.
According to him, key focus areas of the programme include risk-based targeting, case management, registry management, quality assurance, standardisation and integrated audit systems.
He stressed that effective Post Clearance Audit enables Customs to move beyond transaction-based controls to a more strategic compliance management approach that strengthens revenue assurance, facilitates legitimate trade, enhances transparency and boosts public confidence in customs operations.
“This mission presents a valuable opportunity to critically assess our existing processes, identify gaps, learn from international best practices and develop practical solutions that will strengthen our PCA framework and overall compliance management system,” Olomu said.
He also commended the Comptroller-General for his commitment to modernisation and capacity building, while appreciating the World Bank Group and other development partners for their continued support of customs reforms in Nigeria. He urged participants to actively engage throughout the programme and ensure that lessons learned are translated into measurable improvements in day-to-day operations.
Speaking at the event, World Bank Task Team Lead, Moses Kajubi, said the mission was designed to strengthen the capacity of Post Clearance Audit officers through exposure to modern customs practices, practical audit tools and internationally recognised methodologies.
Kajubi explained that participants would be introduced to global best practices, case management techniques and compliance management strategies that could be adapted to Nigeria’s operational environment. He emphasised the importance of leveraging technology, structured case management systems and data-driven decision-making to improve audit quality, compliance monitoring and trade facilitation outcomes.
“This engagement will equip participants with practical tools and global best practices that can be applied directly in the field to improve the effectiveness of Post Clearance Audit operations,” he stated.
He expressed confidence that the engagement would strengthen institutional capacity and contribute significantly to the Nigeria Customs Service’s broader modernisation objectives.
Lead Consultant for the ARMOR Programme, Aloke Dutt, said the mission seeks to enhance trade facilitation, optimise revenue generation and improve compliance management through a more structured and unified approach to Post Clearance Audit.
Dutt emphasised the need for standardised audit methodologies, effective monitoring mechanisms and the integration of data analytics into audit processes to improve accountability and operational efficiency. He also highlighted the importance of technology-driven solutions such as the B’Odogwu platform and the development of Standard Operating Procedures to support a competency-based audit system across the Service.
During a technical session, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Muhammad Jubril demonstrated the Post Clearance Audit process on the B’Odogwu platform, explaining how officers can initiate audit reviews using Harmonised Commodity Codes and other risk indicators to identify potential compliance concerns and improve oversight.
In his closing remarks, Comptroller Muhammad Shattima encouraged participants to maximise the opportunities provided by the workshop and apply the knowledge acquired towards achieving the strategic objectives of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The technical assistance mission is expected to strengthen Customs’ audit capabilities, improve compliance management and support ongoing efforts to modernise revenue collection and trade facilitation processes in line with international best practices.
