The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has urged the business community to embrace joint responsibility with the Service to achieve faster cargo clearance and boost trade facilitation in the country.
The call was made during a sensitisation programme on Post-Clearance Audit (PCA) held in Lagos, on Thursday, 10 September 2026. The engagement is part of efforts under the administration of President Bola Tinubu to strengthen non-oil revenue through an efficient fiscal system while reducing the cost and friction of doing business in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the introduction of the Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) programme had contributed significantly to improved cargo clearance times. He noted that 247 companies had been admitted into the AEO modernisation system since inception.
“Before we started AEO, companies used to have an average of 156 hours in terms of clearance time. But now, it has been reduced to 43 hours. In fact, one of them has achieved an eight-hour clearance time because of the quality of their documentation,” he said.
The CGC explained that the recent PCA model aligns with international best practices under the revised Kyoto Convention, which provides a blueprint for Customs modernisation. He added that, in line with Article 7.5 of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, results from audits would be fed back into the Service’s risk-management system to identify and close potential compliance gaps.
Adeniyi stressed that the objective of the Service was not to police businesses but to build a lasting partnership with the trading community capable of transforming Nigeria into a central economic hub. He urged participants to see the engagement as an opportunity to understand their rights and obligations and communicate with Customs where necessary before errors become liabilities.
Also speaking, the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Post-Clearance Audit, Babatunde Olomu, described the sensitisation programme as a strategic instrument for revenue assurance, voluntary compliance and improved Customs administration. “The impact of PCA intervention is evident in the Service’s revenue performance. ₦21.3 billion was collected between January and August 2025. For corresponding year 2026, we have ₦26.2 billion which is a 27.7% increase year-on-year”, Olomu said.
The event also featured goodwill messages from representatives of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other key stakeholders, who emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between Customs and the private sector to facilitate trade and ensure faster cargo movement.
