Customs Digitalizes Airport Declaration Process to Eliminate Delays

By Godwin Oritse

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) yesterday at the International Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The new platform is intended to streamline passenger clearance, enhance compliance, and improve operational efficiency.

SCADS is designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers. By allowing passengers to declare items before arrival, the system is expected to cut manual bottlenecks, increase transparency in revenue assessment, and boost overall efficiency at Nigeria’s international airports.

Deputy Comptroller‑General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the launch represents a significant milestone in the Service’s digital transformation agenda. He explained that the initiative followed operational challenges with the previous passenger declaration platform earlier this year, and that the Service chose to develop a more robust alternative rather than let setbacks impede progress.

“When the earlier platform experienced operational challenges, we chose not to see it as a setback. We saw it as an opportunity to build something better, stronger and more efficient,” Adebakin said.

According to Adebakin, SCADS allows passengers to declare items in advance, which reduces clearance time and improves compliance and operational integrity. “For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother movement through our airports,” he added.

The DCG also noted that the system will eliminate subjective revenue assessment by automatically generating duties based on declared items, their 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,” he said.

Earlier, the Customs Area Controller, FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, explained that the selection of the Command for the pilot phase reflects confidence in its operational capacity. She disclosed that the pilot will run for five days, from Monday, 18 May to Friday, 22 May 2026, during which officers will evaluate the system in a live environment before nationwide deployment.

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