The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the World Bank Group, has concluded a two-week Technical Assistance Mission on Post Clearance Audit (PCA) aimed at strengthening compliance management, revenue assurance, and trade facilitation through modern audit practices.
The programme, held from June 1 to 12, 2026, was conducted under the World Bank-supported Accelerated Revenue Mobilisation Reform (ARMOR) Programme and focused on enhancing the Service’s audit capabilities and operational efficiency.
Speaking at the closing ceremony on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, Tijjani Abe, reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to strengthening Post Clearance Audit as a key tool for promoting voluntary compliance, facilitating legitimate trade, and protecting government revenue.
He noted that effective customs administration requires intelligence-driven, risk-based, and internationally compliant audit systems, stressing that the success of the programme would be measured by how effectively participants apply the knowledge gained to improve performance and service delivery.
“The true measure of success will not be the completion of this programme, but the extent to which the knowledge acquired translates into improved performance, stronger compliance outcomes and enhanced service delivery,” Abe said.
He also reiterated the NCS’s commitment to continued collaboration with the World Bank Group, the World Customs Organisation (WCO), and other development partners in advancing customs reforms.
Earlier, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Post Clearance Audit, Babatunde Olomu, expressed optimism about the future of PCA within the Service, describing the mission as a major step toward institutional and operational reforms.
According to him, the technical discussions, practical problem-solving sessions, and assessments conducted during the mission have laid a solid foundation for the modernisation of the NCS audit system.
“The experiences exchanged and outputs developed during this mission will undoubtedly serve as catalysts for a new era of PCA modernisation and development in the NCS. These are not mere administrative instruments; they are the building blocks of a risk-intelligent and internationally compliant PCA system,” Olomu stated.
Participants at the programme presented several key deliverables developed during the mission, including draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), a Case File Management System, trader segmentation logic, audit checklists, registry management systems, and quality assurance frameworks.
The mission also produced an annual audit plan covering 30 audit cases across the Customs Headquarters and three operational zones, with implementation expected within a 45-day timeline.
Speaking on behalf of the World Bank Group, Task Team Lead Moses Kajubi commended the progress made during the mission and emphasised the importance of sustained institutional support and continuous capacity building to ensure effective implementation of PCA reforms.
“For PCA to deliver value, we do not only need tools and processes; institutional support and continuous capacity building are equally important,” Kajubi said.
He reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting capability development and implementation efforts within the Nigeria Customs Service as part of broader efforts to strengthen revenue mobilisation and trade facilitation in the country.
The conclusion of the mission marks another milestone in the ongoing reform agenda of the Nigeria Customs Service, which is seeking to align its operations with international best practices while enhancing compliance, improving revenue collection, and facilitating legitimate trade.
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