Customs Says B’Odogwu Platform Driving Paperless Trade, Strengthening Cargo Clearance

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) indigenous B’Odogwu platform is transforming trade facilitation through paperless cargo clearance and improved transparency across the customs value chain.

The Executive Director of Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) Ltd., Mr Ahmed Ogunsola, said this during a presentation titled ‘The Deployment of B’Odogwu and the New NCS’ at a retreat in Abuja.

The retreat, which focused on the theme ‘Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms,’ was organised by the NCS for the Senate Committee on Customs.

Ogunsola described B’Odogwu as more than a software application, saying it comprised interconnected digital solutions designed to modernise customs operations and simplify trade processes.

He said the platform was being implemented under a 20-year strategic partnership between the Federal Government and TMP Ltd., combining government oversight with private-sector financing and technical expertise.

According to him, the arrangement has not transferred operational control of Customs to a private entity, contrary to earlier public misconceptions.

“The Nigeria Customs Service retains full operational control, policy direction and regulatory authority over all customs activities.”

“TMP is the concessionaire responsible for financing the project, providing technology, technical expertise and managing its implementation with technical partners,” he said.

According to him, the name “B’Odogwu” was coined during a management retreat convened by the C-G in January 2024 to replace the technical name, Unified Customs Management System.

He said the name combined the concepts of border management and strength, reflecting an indigenous identity intended to promote national ownership of the platform.

Ogunsola said a major goal of B’Odogwu was to eliminate paper-based processing by providing end-to-end digital clearance through a single integrated platform.

He explained that traders could process  Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAAR), declarations, payments and cargo examinations through one interface instead of multiple disconnected systems.

According to him, the integration closed information gaps that previously slowed cargo clearance and created inefficiencies.

The platform, he said, was developed jointly by NCS officers and technology experts, adding that all its source code resided within Nigeria.

“From the first line of code, Customs officers were involved in the development.”

“All 118 million lines of code are resident in Nigeria and remain under the full ownership of the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.

Ogunsola added that the platform enabled traders to monitor application status in real time through personalised dashboards, eliminating uncertainty over where documents were being processed.

He also said B’Odogwu incorporated artificial intelligence and machine learning to support automated risk management, cargo classification and validation.

According to him, the intelligent risk engine allowed customs to update risk parameters in line with policy changes and automatically identify high-risk declarations for scrutiny.

He said the platform had automated payment reconciliation by providing instant confirmation after traders paid customs assessments through authorised banks.

This, he said, eliminated the cumbersome manual reconciliation process previously carried out using multiple spreadsheets and enhanced transparency in revenue collection.

“The moment payment is made, the system automatically notifies Customs, making it easier to reconcile collections and identify any discrepancies in remittances,” he said.

Ogunsola said B’Odogwu also integrated cargo examination, gate pass issuance and exit procedures into a single digital environment, making trade processing faster, more transparent and efficient.

He expressed confidence that the platform would strengthen trade facilitation, improve revenue assurance and enhance Nigeria’s customs administration.

In another development, the Lilypond Export Command (LEXC) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it recorded export value of 792.56 million dollars in the second quarter of the year.

*Comptroller Samuel Ariyibi

Comptroller Samuel Ariyibi, Customs Area Controller of the command, made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.

Ariyibi said the figure increased by 192.96 million dollars over the 599.60 million dollars recorded in the same period of 2025, representing a 24.35 per cent growth rate.

He said during the review period, the command processed 5,510 export containers, a rise from the 3,732 containers handled during the corresponding period in 2025.

The area controller said this was a difference of 1,778 containers, which translated to a 32.27 per cent growth in container throughput.

He said exports were categorised into four primary segments: agricultural products, manufactured goods, solid minerals, and others.

Ariyibi said agricultural produce remained a leading export, with a total value of 422.08 million dollars in the second quarter of the year.

He explained that the figure reflected an increase of 52.24 million dollars from 369.84 million dollars recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Ariyibi said that for manufactured goods, the command processed exports worth 350.67 million dollars in the second quarter of the year, representing an increase of 230.37 million dollars compared to 120.30 million dollars recorded in the second quarter of 2025.

According to him, the jump points to Nigeria’s increasing industrial output and export diversification efforts.

He said solid mineral exports declined from 91.15 million dollars in the second quarter of 2025 to 7.17 million dollars in the second quarter of the year, noting that the reduction aligns with government policy on local value addition before export.

Ariyibi said under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS), the command generated N5.38 billion in the same period of the year.

“This report highlights our key operations as a command solely dedicated to the processing of containerised exports, following the consolidation directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi,” he said.

Ariyibi said NESS collection increased by N512.02 million compared to the N4.86 billion recorded in the second quarter of  2025, representing 9.52 per cent growth.

He added that the command generated N95.26 million as Export Surcharge during the period, a decrease of N54.13 million from the N149.39 million recorded in the second quarter of 2025.

The area controller said the command maintained a strong collaborative relationship with partner government agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

Ariyibi said that the agencies partnering with the command were the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), the Port Police, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Ariyibi commended the Comptroller-General of Customs for his support and for providing an enabling environment that promotes trade facilitation, especially in the non-oil export sector.

He urged all stakeholders, exporters, freight forwarders, and haulage operators to remain compliant and avoid activities contrary to extant laws, noting, “Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse.”

Ariyibi also called on them to take advantage of the command’s open-door policy and familiarise themselves with export prohibition guidelines to ensure proper and legal trade processing.