By Stephen Ubanna
With the success achieved by the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, under the Leadership of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, in the pilot phase of the indigenous software system, B’Odogwu, to facilitate the clearance of cargoes at Port Multiservice Terminal Limited, PTML, between 2024 and now, appears to have encouraged the Customs Authorities to extend the facility to Apapa and Tincan -can Island Commands.
The Leadership of the NCS, according to a software expert, may have been encouraged to settle for an indigenous technology ‘’to eliminate the consistent failures of the foreign technologies which had hindered the seamless clearance of cargoes at the ports’’.
In developing the new software system, the Customs helmsman, had repeatedly said at any given opportunity that ‘’the foreign systems had failed Nigeria, as the number of times the facilities have broken down are greater than the number of times they have been operational at the seaports, airports and Land border stations. He may have alluded to the United Nation Trade and Development, UNCTAD, Automated System for Customs Data, ASYCUDA, 3.0 and ASYCUDA world, which was said to have been upgraded to Nigeria Integrated Customs Information, NICIS.
He was said to also alluded to the transition from Risk Passement Report, RAR, to the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, from, during the tenure of deceased Abdullahi Dikko, a -one -time former Comptroller General, of NCS, in 2013 , noting that there was there the initial difficulties but with the commitment and doggedness of the of the officers and stakeholders , the problems were resolved to ensure a successful implementation, meaning that the situation may not be different from the B’Odogwu facility.
Giving an additional information on what may have prompted the service to develop the new software technology to facilitate the clearance of cargoes at the country’ s entry points, the Customs Comptroller General, who could not hide his feelings had said that they have no option but to develop its own system after the service providers had repeatedly had failed ‘’to meet their deliverables’’.
His major worry was that despite the multiple contract extensions, these service providers still had failed ‘’to deliver, let alone handover properly at the end of the contracts’’, thus leaving the officers to struggle to do their jobs at the Commands with the foreign technology
He was emphatic: ‘’We decided, it was time to develop an indigenous software system to facilitate the clearance of cargoes at the nation’s entry points instead of wholly depending on the foreign technology, NICIS, which was said to have expired as at December 2022, during the administration of Hameed Ali, an Army Colonel, rtd, and immediate past Comptroller General, of the NCS.
The implementation of the B’Odogwu software system which was said to have been designed ‘’to streamline end-to -end business processes and support intelligent decision-making ‘’ which appears to have been a success at PTML, going by the account of Compt. Tenny Mankini Daniyan, the Command Area Controller, is very revealing.
The Customs Comptroller had said that ‘’it has enhanced the Command’s officers’ ability to manage their operations more efficiently, without any fear of breakdown of the facility like the foreign technology: NICIS’’. The B’ Odogwu software facility was said to have been built by the software company in Nigeria ‘’to minimize disruptions’’.
It was not surprising why the Management of the NCS, had planned ‘’to expand the system to Customs Commands across the country as part of broader efforts to improve the ease of doing business at Nigerian seaports, airports and Land border stations, to improve the service revenue collection.
On Monday, February, 3, 2025, at the crowded well-furnished Conference hall of the Apapa Command, the enthusiastic officers of the Command , led by Compt. Babatunde Olomu , the Area Controller, and their Counterparts at the Tin-can Island Command, led by Compt. Frank Okechukwu Onyeka, the Command Area Controller and industry stakeholders, had gathered to receive the Customs Comptroller General and his team, for the pre-Launch of the B’Odogwu’’ platform, described in maritime circles as a trade facilitation tool.
The Customs Comptroller General who is still testing the new indigenous software technology may have opted for a prelaunch of the of the facility rather than going for a full implementation of the indigenous technology due to the scale of operations at the Apapa and Tincan Island Commands. Note that the Apapa Command alone, which handles over 60% of the cargo imports into the country, which would be be made faster to clear and exit the port with the implementation of the new software system, B’Odogwu.
An elated Adeniyi, who may have taken advantage of the pre-launch of B’Odogwu platform at Apapa Command to give an insider information that ‘’the Nigerian Government has granted a new Concession to the Trade Modernization Project, TMP, Limited, to develop the Odogwu Unified Customs Management System to address inefficiencies and frustrations associated with the implementation of the previous foreign NICIS, Customs Management platform’’.
Although, there were problems that were said to have encountered by officers and stakeholders at PTML, at the initial pilot phase, but the Customs Comptroller General had assured that there was no cause for alarm. He may have gladdened the heart of officers and industry stakeholders when he disclosed that all issues were resolved seamlessly and would not be experienced t this time around.
Prior to the pre-launch of the B’Odogwu platform at the Apapa Command, the Customs Comptroller General, was said to have sought the support of Olayemi Michael Cardoso, led the Central of Bank of Nigeria, CBN, ‘’to fast-track the integration of Nigerian Commercial Banks into its Odogwu trade facilitation system and automate exchange rate communication to improve the service duty collection at the seaports, airports and Land border stations’’.
Appealing to the CBN, governor, who financial analysts had said has the ears of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to grant the needed approvals for banks to fully integrate into the B’Odogwu, platform, he noted that ‘’it is the only way guarantee seamless foreign exchange transactions and trade-related payments.
The value news online Magazine, was informed that at present the service relies on a manual process to receive exchange updates from the apex bank for duty collections which was not good enough for the economy. This may have forced the CBN governor to give his word to enable real-time, automated updates within the Odogwu system to eliminate delays and discrepancies as suggested by the Customs Comptroller General
. The CBN, governor, who was enthused by the Customs Comptroller General proposal, was said to have pledged his support for the full rollout of the new trade facility’’ to make it a huge success.He was said to have also given a cause to bee cherry when he assured that the CBN, under his Leadership, will ensure a seamless integration of the Commercial Banks to the B’Odogwu system. He did not stop there.
He was said to have also assured the Customs boss of the apex bank commitment ‘’to provide the necessary support so that the nation’s banking sector aligns with the transition and’’, adding that ‘’it would put the necessary machinery in motion to ensure compliance among the Money Deposit Banks, MDB to enhance trade efficiency and revenue collection for the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Customs Comptroller General, was said to have been accompanied by Kikelomo Adeola, a Deputy Comptroller General, DCG, overseeing the service, Information, Communication and Technology, ICT, and other senior officers from the Customs Headquarters, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, at the pre-launch of the B’Odogwu platform at Apapa Command.
The DCG, was said to have given a word of advice to officers and the industry stakeholders that ‘’the success of the deployment of the upgraded B’Odogwu platform at Apapa and Tin-can Island Commands relies on collaboration between the parties.Beaming with smiles, she was said to have assured the officers and industry stakeholders that the service is committed ‘’to addressing any emerging challenges together’’.
Compt. Olomu, described in Customs circles as a revenue mobilizer, even without the deployment of B’Odoggwu of the foreign technology, to the Command operations had highlighted the importance of the ICT, facility at the ports, stressing that that ‘’the upgraded modernization facility will help the service to achieve its desired goals of trade facilitation, improved revenue collection and enforcement operations at the ports’’. Take for instance in the month of January, 2025, the Apapa Command was said to have collected and paid into the Federation account about N261.3 billion while the Tin-can Island, which had came closely behind, had collected and made a payment of N116.4 billion into the Federal Government coffers, described as commendable by operators.
Determined to ensure successful implementation of the B’Odogwu, platform, Comptrollers Olomu and Onyeka, were said to have prioritized training and capacity building of their officers ‘for a seamless transition to the new system’’
The two Customs Area Controllers, who many believe knows their onions were said to have been intentional about preparing their officers for this much awaited transition. The two Customs Comptrollers were said to have initiated batch-by -batch training session sessions for the newly promoted Assistant and Deputy Comptrollers, particular, in their respective Commands to familiarize them with the new ICT, platform.
