As part of its ongoing modernisation efforts and commitment to trade facilitation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has entered into a high-level consultation with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to address operational challenges surrounding the implementation of the Unified Customs Management System, popularly known as B’Odogwu.
The strategic engagement comes on the heels of mounting concerns from freight forwarders and Licensed Customs Agents over delays, increased demurrage charges, and other transitional issues associated with the deployment of the new digital platform across ports and border stations.
In a move to foster inter-agency collaboration and find practical solutions, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, held a closed door meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Akutah Ukeyima, on Monday, 19th August 2025, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of Customs, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, PhD, mnipr, mniia, the meeting provided a critical platform for both agencies to align on strategies that would ease the rollout process and minimize disruptions to cargo clearance and trade operations.
“The NCS remains committed to ensuring a smooth transition to the B’Odogwu system. This engagement with the Shippers’ Council underscores the Service’s responsiveness to stakeholder feedback and its drive to enhance efficiency across the maritime and logistics value chain,” the statement noted.
The Unified Customs Management System designed to streamline documentation, improve transparency, and reduce bottlenecks in cargo processing has been in pilot phases at select commands but has encountered technical and procedural challenges during its wider rollout.
Both agencies have pledged continued collaboration to ensure that the system delivers on its promise of a more efficient and trader-friendly customs environment.
The Executive Secretary of the Shippers’ Council conveyed industry feedback from freight forwarders and agents, noting operational challenges related to system integration, documentation, and port logistics. He stressed the need for urgent responses to minimise financial losses and prevent disruptions in the cargo clearance chain.
Furthermore, the CGC reaffirmed that B’Odogwu, being a flagship project under the Customs Modernisation Programme, remains critical to achieving a transparent, technology-driven, and globally competitive clearance process. He assured that challenges in this initial phase would be systematically resolved through structured stakeholder engagement, phased improvements, and continuous system upgrades.
With this engagement, 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 also emphasised 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.
It is pertinent to note that the B’Odogwu is an indigenous platform aimed at centralising Customs processes, integrating stakeholders into a unified system while cutting clearance timelines, reducing costs, boosting compliance, and strengthening government revenue. The NCS, therefore, calls on stakeholders to support the implementation process, provide constructive feedback, and partner with Customs in building a modernised trade ecosystem that promotes efficiency, competitiveness, and national development.