Amid Growing Public Scrutiny: Nigeria Customs Reveals Its Digital Reforms, Reinforces Transparency

By Raheem Ibrahim

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has explained that its ongoing digital transformation agenda is steadily closing the gaps that have historically made revenue leakage and procedural abuse possible, even as the Service faces renewed public scrutiny over its enforcement and administrative practices.

As Nigeria’s trade corridors continue to expand in volume and complexity, the NCS outlined how openness to oversight and merit based promotion underscore its modernisation drive.

The Service was reacting to questions raised in an investigative report published by SaharaReporters on August 7, 2026, which examined enforcement activity along several border corridors in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States and raised questions about vehicle valuation procedures at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and PTML Area Commands.

Rather than treating the enquiry as an isolated controversy, the National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, used the opportunity to walk through the systems the Service has built precisely to prevent the kind of abuse the report describes.

According to him, central to that system is the digital VIN Valuation framework now governing vehicle clearance nationwide. Under the framework, standard vehicles are assessed automatically against global manufacturer specification databases, a design that strips human discretion out of the vast majority of valuation decisions. Only vehicles with non standard or non compliant VINs, such as specialised heavy equipment, classic models, customised builds and vintage vehicles, are routed through the “846” Extended Procedure Code.

The Service’s National PRO explained that such applications require mandatory secondary approval from designated Valuation Officers and Area Controllers before clearance is granted.

The Service pointed to its post clearance audit regime as further evidence that the system is designed for accountability rather than concealment. Discrepancies uncovered during audits routinely trigger Demand Notices for the recovery of short collected duties and can lead to the suspension of clearance licences for offending agents. Officials noted that revenue collection at Apapa, Tin Can Island and PTML has, in fact, reached historic highs under this framework, a trend the Service attributes directly to the tighter digital oversight now in place.

On enforcement along the land borders, the Service said the seizure figures routinely disclosed at media briefings by Area Controllers tell a different story from the one suggested by claims of an unchecked smuggling surge, and it reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing federal restrictions while continuing to facilitate legitimate trade.

The Service also used the moment to defend the integrity of its recruitment and promotion processes, describing the recently released Assistant Superintendent of Customs II shortlist, from application through computer based testing, physical screening and final selection, as having been conducted under the direct supervision of the Nigeria Customs Service Board in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and Federal Character Commission guidelines. The published list represents provisional offers that are still subject to medical and background verification.

Similarly, on questions of internal succession, the Service pointed to the Public Service Rules and the NCS Act 2023 as the governing framework for promotion, anchored on seniority, demonstrated merit in promotion examinations and the availability of established vacancies rather than personal or group preference. Officials said promotion exercises under the current leadership have been made more regular, transparent and prompt, with no qualified officer denied advancement on account of their year of recruitment.

The Service framed its leadership training programmes, including courses delivered at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, and abroad, as part of a deliberate human capital strategy tied to its modernisation goals, funded through approved federal budgetary allocations or formal technical assistance arrangements with partner institutions such as the World Customs Organisation.

Perhaps most notably, the Service did not shy away from calls for independent scrutiny. It reiterated that it already operates under the statutory oversight of the Federal Ministry of Finance and remains subject to review by the National Assembly, the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation and anti graft agencies, including the EFCC, the ICPC and the ONSA, stating plainly that it neither fears nor evades legitimate scrutiny.

The Service remarked, “The management maintains a firm, intolerant posture toward corruption, revenue leakage or administrative misconduct,” adding that any officer or stakeholder found complicit in unethical conduct would face institutional disciplinary procedures and prosecution under the law.