‎‎‎‎Customs Spokesperson, AC Maiwada Elucidates NCS Role in Driving Trade Competitiveness

‎‎ZAINAB JUNAID ‎‎

The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada has elucidated the critical role played by the Service in shaping the Country’s trade competitiveness and driving non-oil revenue growth, citing African and Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

He said the Service is streamlining processes and reducing administrative barriers to make business more competitive.

‎‎Speaking on Channels TV’s “Business Morning” programme recently, the Customs’ spokesperson emphasised the critical role of the NCS in trade facilitation, noting the World Trade Organisation’s trade facilitation agreement.‎

Maiwada stated that the NCS Act 2023 is a game- changer which provides a legal framework for trade facilitation tools.‎

One of the key initiatives according to him, is the introduction of a One-Stop Shop which will serve as a central platform for intelligence gathering and coordination.

The One-Stop Shop will also house all subunits within the NCS, ensuring a more efficient and coordinated approach to customs operations.

‎”This will help to prevent unnecessary delays and interference in the clearance of goods,” he said. “‎If you have intelligence, Customs intelligence or whatever, you will drop the intelligence within the one stop shop so that whenever consignments are going out of the Port, nobody have the right to intervene or cause unnecessary delays. Those are efforts of reforms”.

The Customs PRO highlighted several trade facilitation tools launched by the Service including: Advance Ruling, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, and Time Release Study (TRS).

These tools, he said, aimed to simplify and speed up the clearance process, reduce the time and cost of importing and exporting goods.

“For instance, the Advance Ruling provides a legally binding decision on the classification and valuation of goods prior to importation, which means by the time you bring in items before you even make an intention to import those items, there will be a binding decision on classification and customs value of those items which will also aid the facilitation of clearance of your cargo.

“We have also launched Authorised Economic Operator programme, it’s a trade facilitation tool that fast track clearance of goods for people that you have perceived to be very compliant based on certain criteria you have put in place. So we have launched AEO, an effort we are making to achieve trade facilitation.

“We have TRS at TinCan. TRS is a trade facilitation tool to look at the time required for you for the arrival of good to the exit of those goods out of the Port.

“The TRS will give you an idea of what, who is causing delay at when and where and with scientific evidence, which is backed by data. You will be able to know where are the problems and you will improve in your trade facilitation tool. Then for you to make trade very competitive, you have to cut the red tape and your ability to do this define your own processes and procedures, the use of IT, the use of technology,” he analysed.

Technology is also playing a critical role in the NCS’s efforts to modernize its operations, as AC Maiwada spoke on the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), codenamed B’Odogwu, which is designed to streamline clearance processes and reduce glitches.

He also noted that NCS is working on an electronic cargo tracking system to prevent diversion of goods and improve supply chain security, as it is also engaging Stakeholders on how to improve the effectiveness of its operations.

To him, “We are looking at the issue of diversion of cargo, we are coming up with electronic cargo tracking system which is part of our efforts to modernise what we are doing. And with that we will be able to make sure that goods leaving the modern Port to terminal do not get diverted along the way. That’s part of the reform. We have also regularised our anti-smuggling strategy, so that you will not be seeing customs everywhere. The one- stop shop”.

Still speaking, he said “We have held a very robust Stakeholders’ engagements in Lagos. We are going to have one in Port Harcourt for the Eastern Ports. We are listening to members of the public about any complaints where we need to improve on B’Odogwu, we improve on the system and where we need to explain we explain to them. Where we need to train, we train and where we need to expand our network, we expand the network. So B’Odogwu is working, yes there will be problem, this problem will be surmountable. It is our own, we developed indigenously. The source code start from here and it is our own. So we have to allow our own to grow, and we rely on our own”.

In addition to its efforts to improve trade facilitation, Maiwada said NCS is also playing a critical role in promoting exports, as it has established a dedicated Command for exports, the Lilypond Export Command, which is responsible for facilitating the export process.

He underscored the critical and integral role export business played in building a better Nigeria economy, stressing that the NCS is doing everything to ensure it works.

‎‎Maiwada further hinted that Nigeria will be hosting AfCFTA conference in November, which will bring together Stakeholders to discuss the implementation of the agreement and addressing challenges.

“NCS is taking a leading role in this effort, with the Comptroller-General serving as the Chairman of the Council. The conference is expected to provide a platform for discussing ways to make the AfCFTA work for Nigeria and other African countries,” he added.