The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing trade facilitation by deepening engagement with maritime stakeholders to address ongoing cargo clearance challenges.

Speaking at a high-level meeting held on Monday, 11 August 2025, at the Apapa Area Command, Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi highlighted the rollout of the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), popularly known as B’Odogwu, as a key milestone for the Service.

“There’s no turning back on B’Odogwu. We must continue with the process we’ve started. Challenges are expected, which is why we previously engaged with authorized banks, and those discussions have already produced positive results,” Adeniyi said.

The CGC assured participants of the Service’s ongoing commitment to transparency and collaboration. “Our goal is to listen to you attentively, and that’s why we have gathered here today—as partners in this endeavor,” he noted.

While acknowledging that some challenges have been resolved, Adeniyi raised concerns over recent cyberattacks aimed at disrupting Customs’ digital operations, describing such acts as “economic sabotage.”

“Just this past weekend, there were several attempts to penetrate our systems with the intent of crippling our operations. Let me remind everyone that we will not tolerate such acts. We remain committed to strengthening our digital defenses to avoid any disruptions,” he warned.

The meeting concluded with an interactive session where stakeholders shared insights, proposed solutions, and pledged their support for enhancing efficiency and transparency in Nigeria’s cargo clearance process.