The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has restated that efforts to ease trade will remain firmly tied to strict regulatory compliance, as concerns persist over cargo diversion, procedural breaches, and weak accountability within the trade ecosystem.
This position was underscored by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, during a stakeholders’ engagement in Kano, where he made it clear that trade facilitation without transparency and integrity would undermine revenue protection and national economic goals.
Adeniyi stressed that while the Service is pursuing reforms to improve the movement of legitimate goods, non-compliance by traders, agents, and even Customs personnel remains a major obstacle.
According to him, trade facilitation cannot succeed in an environment where rules are selectively obeyed or compromised.
He warned that misconduct by officers directly erodes public trust and weakens enforcement outcomes.
The engagement also exposed the tension between calls for faster clearance processes and the persistent challenge of enforcing Customs laws.
Adeniyi said the Service is open to innovative ideas from stakeholders to improve efficiency but insisted that such proposals must operate strictly within existing legal and procedural frameworks.
A major focus of discussion was the deployment of technology to curb longstanding abuses in cargo handling and transit operations.
Adeniyi disclosed that the introduction of the indigenous B’Odogwu clearance platform has improved transparency by reducing human interference in Customs processes.
In addition, electronic tracking devices for transit containers have helped detect and intercept diverted consignments, an issue that has historically led to revenue losses and market distortions.
He noted that early results from these technological interventions suggest that systemic leakages are being narrowed, but sustaining the gains would require consistent enforcement and stakeholder cooperation.
The arrests linked to diverted cargo, he said, demonstrate that technology is reshaping accountability within the trade chain.
Within the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, revenue performance and stakeholder relations were highlighted as indicators of what structured engagement and enforcement can achieve.
However, the Comptroller-General maintained that commendable leadership at the command level must be matched with discipline across ranks to ensure reforms are not undermined internally.
Customs Area Controller for Kano/Jigawa, Comptroller Dalhatu Abubakar, acknowledged that stakeholder cooperation has played a critical role in improving compliance levels, but emphasised that trust must translate into shared responsibility for lawful trade practices.
Stakeholders present at the forum welcomed recent reforms but also pointed to the need for sustained dialogue, predictability in procedures, and consistent application of rules to avoid uncertainty and informal practices.
Many agreed that while Customs has shown greater openness, compliance enforcement must remain firm to prevent abuse of facilitation measures.
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