The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is currently hosting a five-day workshop on Post Clearance Audit (PCA) in Abuja, in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Running from October 7 to 11, 2024, the workshop aims to enhance trade facilitation and strengthen compliance measures within Nigeria’s customs operations.
At the workshop’s opening ceremony, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represented by Assistant Comptroller-General Adekunle Oloyode, expressed gratitude to the WCO, WBG, and IMF for their invaluable support in advancing PCA reform efforts. He emphasized that the workshop is crucial for establishing a robust PCA framework, which complements the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme.
“The PCA plays a vital role in ensuring compliance in international trade and safeguarding national revenue long after goods have exited Customs control,” CGC Adeniyi stated. He highlighted that effective post-clearance audits enable the NCS to detect and prevent commercial fraud, recover lost revenue, and enhance overall trade facilitation.
The CGC noted, “PCA serves as a vital tool in balancing trade facilitation with compliance,” underscoring the importance of a strong PCA framework in fostering a secure trading environment that ultimately facilitates smoother international trade.
Emphasizing the significance of online virtual sessions, Adeniyi remarked, “These sessions provide real-time insights and knowledge sharing, allowing us to address specific challenges and implement best practices globally, helping to innovate NCS PCA processes.”
Key areas of focus during the workshop include risk management, targeting, developing data-driven methodologies to identify high-risk transactions, creating detailed audit plans for efficient execution, and leveraging international expertise and technology to enhance capacity.
Adeniyi urged participants to apply the knowledge gained from the workshop to strengthen the NCS’s PCA system and protect national revenue.
Suleiman Chiroma, Assistant Comptroller-General from the Strategic Research and Policy Department of NCS, reiterated the importance of PCA in ensuring seamless customs processes. He stated, “Collaboration with these organisations is key to the survival and success of the NCS.”
World Customs Organisation expert Russell Clark also spoke at the event, commending the collaboration and praising the NCS’s commitment to improving its processes in facilitating trade.
This workshop marks a significant step towards enhancing Nigeria’s trade facilitation framework, with the collective efforts of NCS, WCO, WBG, and IMF poised to lead to improved compliance and operational efficiency in customs processes.