The Nigeria Customs Service has launched a nationwide sensitisation workshop for auto dealers, stakeholders and officers on the newly-introduced Customs Verification Management System (CVMS), which is an innovation that includes the deployment of a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Check App designed to strengthen verification processes and curb the circulation of smuggled or stolen vehicles in the country.
The workshop, marking the first phase of a nationwide engagement, was held at the Ahmad Makarfi Auditorium of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada.
Speaking on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, stated that the initiative was introduced to enhance compliance, strengthen national security, and protect both traders and vehicle users across the country.
Bomodi explained that Customs officers face significant challenges during enforcement, particularly in determining the status of vehicles at first sight. He said the CVMS and its mobile verification tool were designed to close that gap.
“Our officers are not magicians, and it is extremely difficult to look at any vehicle and immediately determine whether it entered the country legally. That is why tools of this nature were introduced. They make verification easier for you as dealers and for us as enforcers at the points of facilitation and compliance,” he said.
He emphasised that the system was not designed to target or hinder legitimate businesses, but rather to promote transparency and establish a unified national database that safeguards both government revenue and the interests of lawful owners.
“With this system, we can trace a vehicle from the point it enters the country to the individual who eventually owns it. When data is protected from external interference, the likelihood of vehicle theft reduces drastically because verification can be done quickly, non-intrusively and with more accuracy,” he noted.
He urged vehicle dealers to adopt the platform and help disseminate its benefits within the industry, stating that its adoption would boost public confidence and send a clear signal that Nigerian businesses are committed to due process.
On her part, the Commandant of the Customs Command and Staff College, ACG Oluyomi Adebakin, stated that the introduction of CVMS became necessary because the local market had become a destination for stolen or smuggled vehicles, which were often recycled and resold multiple times without a trace.
She said, “Stolen vehicles are being sold over and over again, and smuggled vehicles move freely within the country. This is neither ethical nor good for our national progress. If Customs does not step in, anyone’s vehicle could be stolen today and sold to an unsuspecting buyer tomorrow.”
ACG Adebakin noted that without a reliable database, it becomes difficult for law enforcement agencies, car dealers or buyers to establish legitimate ownership.
According to her, the new system will help block the market for stolen or irregularly imported vehicles, discourage criminal networks and strengthen the country’s internal security architecture.
She appealed to the participants to take advantage of the platform, noting that it would protect them from unknowingly buying or selling vehicles associated with criminal activities.
“When dealers cannot trace the history of a vehicle, they become the first suspects when issues arise. This system gives you confidence and protects your business integrity,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, the National President of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), Ajibola Adedoyin, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for introducing the platform. He said the innovation aligned with the association’s long-standing demand for a transparent and reliable vehicle-verification structure that protects genuine traders.
Adedoyin noted that auto dealers had suffered reputational damage and financial losses due to the prevalence of stolen or illegally imported vehicles in the market.
He added that the VIN Check App provides an opportunity for the sector to “reset the market” in favour of credible and lawful business operators.
He pledged the association’s support for the rollout. He urged Customs to sustain engagements across the country to ensure that every dealer understands how the system works and the benefits it provides.
