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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Monday, 18 May 2026, officially launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as part of efforts to enhance passenger clearance, strengthen compliance, and improve overall Customs operations.
The platform is designed to streamline baggage declaration for inbound international travellers, with the aim of reducing manual bottlenecks, improving transparency in revenue assessment, and boosting operational efficiency across Nigeria’s international airports.
Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the initiative represents another milestone in the Service’s digital transformation drive under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
She explained that the development of SCADS followed operational challenges experienced with the earlier passenger declaration platform, noting that the Service chose to respond by building a more robust and efficient system rather than allowing setbacks to disrupt operations.
“When the earlier platform experienced operational challenges, we chose not to see it as a setback. We saw it as an opportunity to build something better, stronger and more efficient,” she said.
According to her, SCADS enables passengers to make advance declarations before arrival, resulting in faster clearance processes, improved compliance, and smoother passenger movement through airports.
“For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother movement through our airports,” she added.
The DCG also noted that the platform will eliminate subjective assessment of duties by automating calculations based on declared items, quantities, and actual values.
“When we talk about revenue collection, it is not about collecting more or less. It is about collecting the right revenue. With this system, assessment will now be more objective, accurate and driven by data,” she stated.
She further commended the Non-Intrusive Inspection Unit, deployment teams, and technical partners whose contributions supported the successful pilot rollout.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller of the FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the Command for the pilot phase as a demonstration of confidence in its operational capabilities.
She said SCADS integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a unified digital framework aligned with global best practices in Customs administration.
“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” she said.
She added that the pilot phase will run for five days, from Monday, 18 May to Friday, 22 May 2026, during which the system will be tested in a live operational environment ahead of nationwide deployment.
The pilot launch was attended by senior Customs officials, representatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner government agencies, technical teams, and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation and border management ecosystem.
