B’Odogwu Challenges Addressed in NCS-Shippers’ Council Meeting

B’Odogwu Challenges Addressed in NCS-Shippers’ Council Meeting

By our Correspondent

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is collaborating with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to ensure the successful implementation of the Unified Customs Management System, B’Odogwu. In a meeting between the two bodies, Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi addressed concerns from freight forwarders and licensed customs agents about delays and demurrage associated with the B’Odogwu rollout.

The NSC Executive Secretary, Dr. Akutah Ukeyima, highlighted operational challenges related to system integration, documentation, and port logistics, emphasizing the need for urgent responses to minimize financial losses and prevent disruptions in the cargo clearance chain.

The Comptroller-General of Customs assured that challenges in the initial phase would be systematically resolved through structured stakeholder engagement, phased improvements, and continuous system upgrades.

The Comptroller-General of Customs reaffirmed the importance of B’Odogwu, a flagship project under the Customs Modernisation Programme, in achieving a transparent, technology-driven, and globally competitive clearance process.

The platform aims to centralize Customs processes, integrate stakeholders into a unified system, cut clearance timelines, reduce costs, boost compliance, and strengthen government revenue.

The NCS and NSC underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and collaboration, noting that further consultations with stakeholders, including shipping lines and terminal operators, would continue to align processes and address emerging concerns.

The Service emphasized that while transitional issues are expected in large-scale reforms, measures are being implemented to limit disruptions and shield operators from excessive costs such as demurrage.

The NCS calls on stakeholders to support the implementation process, provide constructive feedback, and partner with Customs in building a modernized trade ecosystem that promotes efficiency, competitiveness, and national development.

The engagement between the NCS and NSC marks a significant step towards ensuring the successful implementation of B’Odogwu and achieving a more efficient and effective customs clearance process in Nigeria.

With continued collaboration and stakeholder engagement, the NCS is poised to overcome the challenges associated with the rollout of B’Odogwu and achieve its objectives of promoting efficiency, competitiveness, and national development.