By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a new digital platform known as the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as part of efforts to improve passenger clearance, reduce delays and strengthen operational efficiency at the nation’s airports.
The platform, unveiled on Monday, is designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers by enabling advance declaration before arrival, while also improving transparency in duty assessment and Customs operations.
Speaking during the official launch, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the deployment of SCADS represents another milestone in the Service’s digital transformation drive under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Adebakin explained that the initiative was introduced following operational challenges experienced with the Service’s earlier passenger declaration platform, noting that the setback provided an opportunity to develop a more effective and reliable system.
She said the new platform would allow passengers to declare items ahead of arrival, thereby reducing clearance time and easing movement through airports.
According to her, the system is also expected to eliminate subjective revenue assessment by automatically generating duties based on declared items, quantities and actual values.
“When we talk about revenue collection, it is not about collecting more or less. It is about collecting the right revenue. With this system, assessment will now be more objective, accurate and driven by data,” she stated.
The Deputy Comptroller-General commended officers of the Non-Intrusive Inspection Unit, members of the deployment team and technical partners for their roles in ensuring the successful pilot rollout of the platform.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller of the FCT Area Command, Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the Command for the pilot phase as a reflection of confidence in its operational capacity.
Alibo said SCADS integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a unified digital framework aimed at aligning Nigeria’s Customs operations with international best practices.
She noted that the platform is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time and eliminate manual bottlenecks within the airport clearance process.
The Customs Area Controller disclosed that the pilot phase of the initiative would run from Monday, May 18, to Friday, May 22, 2026, during which officers would assess the performance of the system in a live operational environment ahead of nationwide deployment.
Senior Customs officers, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner government agencies, technical teams and other stakeholders in the aviation and border management sector attended the launch ceremony in Abuja.
