By Stephen Ubanna
In spite of the fact that Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, led Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has not expanded the B’Odogwu platform, an indigenous technology developed by service in 2024, to the 41 Commands, of the service or thereabout, across the country, hopes brightens for the service to surpass N6.5 trn set for it by the Federal Government this 2025.
The B’Odogwu platform had replaced the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System, NICIS, which was a foreign technology, which aims to facilitate, secure, and enhance trade management through electronic trade services appears to have set the stage for the service to surpass the N6.5 trn target.
At present only three Lagos Commands of PTML, which was said to have been used for the pilot phase of the Modernization Project, B’Odogwu and Apapa and Tin-can Island Commands, which have been introduced to the advanced form of the new indigenous technology have fully started using the B- Odogwu facility to facilitate the clearing of goods at their respective ports while other Commands are still using the NICIS, system.
The good news about the B’Odogwu facility, according informed sources is the faster clearing processing and downtime which it had introduced at the Commands using the facility believed to have enhanced reliability and transparency and which had reflected on the Command’s revenue generation in the months of January, February and March 2025.
Other benefits of the B’Odogwu facility, Compt. Tenny Daniyan, of PTML, had revealed include improved compliance and reduced lack of compliance by traders, a single national entry window with a single date movement, trade facilitation and transparency.
The three Lagos Commands using the B-Odogwu facility and Onne Command, PortHarcourt, II, and Lekki Commands, which had not been linked to the Modernization Project facility were said to have collected and paid into the Federation Account a total sum of N1,513.7 trn between January and March, 2025, interval of three months.
The break down shows that the Apapa, which handles, over 50 percent of the volume of cargoes that passes the nation’s seaports on a yearly basis, had collected and paid into the Federal Government coffers a total sum of N753.8 billion in the Government coffers Ti-can Island Port Command, TCPC, N347. 89bn, PortHarcourt, I, N190.5, PTML, N189.5, and Lagos Free Trade Zone, LFTZ, Command, N113 bn.
The LFTZ, was said to have collected the revenue from designated areas like Dangote Free Trade Zone, Alaro Frre Trade Zone, Eko Atlantic Free Trade Zone, Ladol Free Trade Trae Zone, Snake Island Free Trade Zone and Eko Support Free Trade Zone that allows the importation of goods, raw materials, semi-finished and finished products without requiring immediate payments.
Other Free Trae Zones within the Lagos environs that was said to have contributed to the LFTZ, Command, 113 bn revenue generation that was paid into the government coffers include Bestaf FREE Trade Zone, Nasco Free Trade Zone, Muritala Mohammed International Airport Free Trae Zone, Flour Mill Apapa Free Trae Zone, Flour Mill Iganmu Free Trade Zone, Flour Mill Tin-can Island Free Trade Zone, Koko Beach and Wellness Value Chain Resort FTZ Lekki Deep Seaport.
Given Compt. Tenny Mankini Daniyan of PTML, claims that the Command has started ‘’to reap revenue windfall triggered by the trading platform, B-Odogwu, as it has been able to address the issues bordering on challenges experienced by importers with their agents initially. The Customs Comptroller had said that the agents, particular, had followed the advice given to them to follow to engage the implementation team for assistance to facilitate trade which was said to have worked to the advantage of the Command in beefing up its first quarter of 2025 revenue generation.
The PTML Command, Aewa Controller, was emphatic that since the Command transited from NICIS, managed by Web Fontaine, to the B’odogwu platform in October 2024, it has impacted positively on its daily and monthly revenue collection.
He was said to have said to those that cares to listen that that the indigenous technology, B’Odogwu facility, is no running efficiently, as it has boosted the Command and other Commands in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve center while offering traders greater opportunities to maximize their business potentials as it aligns with the present NCS, Management commitment to trade facilitation and the country’s economic growth.
The message was very clear that that if the B’Odogwu facility could be expanded to other Customs Commands, across the country, particular, Port Harcourt II and LFTZ Command, Lekki, that are currently making a head way in their monthly revenue generation with the NICIS, they would do much better with the indigenous Technology.
Many believes that without the introduction of the B’Odogwu platform at, PTML, Apapa or Tincan Island, the Commands would not go beyond their revenue generating capacity which is based on the Federal Government Fiscal policy which is calculated based on the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, The Common External Tarriff, ECT, described in Customs circles as a common Trade Policy, to harmonize trade practices and reduce barriers within the region.
They noted that Commands like Apapa, Tin-can Island, Port Harcourt II, Onne and LFTZ, Lekki, have setup structures to maximize its monthly revenue collection by blocking areas of revenue leakage. Compt. Mohammed Bbandede, overseeing Onne Command, Pot Harcourt, II, and his Counterpart at LFTZ, Command, Lekki, Compt. Olarenwaju Olumoh, have left no one in doubt that whether with the NICIS OR B’Odogwu platform, the Commands would not go below its monthly revenue target had been set for it by the Custom Headquarters as there is no room for false declaration, underpayment or Concealment at the port.
Note that the Apapa Command under the close watch of Compt. Olomu, which has won the Best Commmand in Trade Facilitation, Ports and Revenue Generation and the Tin-can Island Port Command, which currently has Compt. Frank Okechukwuma Onyeka, as the Area Controller, did not to be linked to the B’Odogwu platform to be recognized at the Comptroller General of Customs,CGC, Award Night, in Nov. 29, 2024, as one of the service Best Commands in Trase Facilitation and Revenue Generation. Even Commands like Onne Command, PortHarcourt II, and Kano/Jigawa, were also recognized as the Customs Best Commands as well in Trae Facilitation and Revenue Generation, and honoured like the Apapa and Tin-can Island Commands but PTML, which was said to have transited from NICIS, to the B’Odogwu facility since October 2024, was nowhere to be found on the list of Best Commands in Trade Facilitation and Revenue Generation, ports.
There is no gain saying the fact that in the upcoming 2025, CGC, Award Night, there may be much difference in the award list of Best Commands in Trade Facilitation and Revenue Generation, as PTML,LFTZ, Commands, may make likely the list as the two Commands have shown signs of making the list this time around with their improved trade facilitation drive and revenue generation between January and March , 2025, which industry operators had escribed as very encouraging.
Already, PTML, Command, according to an insider has tightened areas of leakages at the port as it could rival Onne Command, PortHarcourt II, in its trade Facilitation drive that had enhanced its revenue collection in the first quarter of 2025.
As PTML strives to improve on its Trade Facilitation drive, and Revenue Generation, as the Central Bank of Nigeria, under the close watch of Olayemi Michael Cardoso, has ordered the Authorized Dealers Banks, ADBs, on Foreign Exchange , to integrate their system with the B’Odogwu Platform, an indigenous trade portal developed by the service, that had replaced the NICIS, Foreign technology, to enable seamless transactions, may have sent a signals that the duo of Comptrollers. Olomu and Onyeka, who are always looking for ways to improve on their respective Commands Trade Facilitation and Revenue Generation, may shock Nigerians with their revenue collections in the second, third and fourth quarters of 2025, as they were said to have set the structures to do so by ‘’putting square pegs in round hole’’ to ensure that the right thing is done at the ports: proper examination and release of cargoes.
