The Nigeria Customs Service has launched a new digital platform aimed at improving passenger clearance, reducing airport delays and enhancing operational efficiency at the country’s international airports.
The platform, known as the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS), was officially unveiled on Monday at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers, the system is expected to reduce manual bottlenecks, improve transparency in revenue assessment and strengthen Customs operations.
Speaking during the launch, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the initiative as another milestone in the Service’s digital transformation drive under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Adebakin said the development of SCADS followed operational challenges encountered on the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier in the year.
According to her, rather than allowing the setbacks to disrupt operations, the Service opted to create a more reliable and efficient alternative.
She explained that the new platform enables passengers to declare items before arriving in the country, thereby reducing clearance time and improving compliance.
“For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother movement through our airports,” she said.
Adebakin also noted that the platform would 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,” she added.
She commended officers of the Non-Intrusive Inspection Unit, members of the deployment team and technical partners for supporting the pilot rollout.
Earlier, Customs Area Controller of the FCT Area Command, Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the Command for the pilot phase as a demonstration of confidence in its operational capacity.
Alibo explained that the platform integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital framework aligned with international Customs standards.
“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” she stated.
She disclosed that the pilot phase would run from May 18 to May 22, 2026, after which the system would be evaluated ahead of nationwide deployment.
The launch event was attended by 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.
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