By Ayo Kehinde
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a new digital passenger declaration platform to reduce delays, improve transparency, and enhance operations at Nigeria’s international airports.
The platform, known as the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS), was unveiled at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada.
The service said SCADS was introduced to simplify baggage declarations for inbound international passengers, eliminate manual bottlenecks, and improve revenue assessment processes through automation.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the initiative as a major step in the agency’s ongoing digital transformation programme.
She explained that the platform was developed after operational issues affected an earlier passenger declaration system introduced earlier this year.
“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 her, the system allows passengers to complete declarations before arriving in Nigeria, thereby reducing processing time and improving compliance procedures at airports.
She added that SCADS would also remove subjective revenue assessments by automatically calculating duties based on declared goods, quantities, and actual values.
Adebakin noted that the system is expected to strengthen transparency and ensure more accurate customs duty assessments through data-driven processes.
Also speaking, the Customs Area Controller of the FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, said the selection of Abuja for the pilot phase reflected confidence in the command’s operational capacity.
She explained that SCADS integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital framework aligned with international customs standards.
The pilot phase, scheduled to run from May 18 to May 22, will involve customs officers, technical teams, airport authorities, and other government agencies within the aviation sector before nationwide deployment.
Senior Customs officials, representatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and other aviation stakeholders attended the launch ceremony.
