NCS Launches Digital Declaration Platform To Reduce Airport Delays
By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has introduced a new digital declaration platform aimed at speeding up passenger clearance, improving transparency in duty collection and modernising operations at international airports across the country.
The platform, known as the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS), was unveiled on Monday at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The Service said the initiative forms part of its broader digital reform programme under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the development followed challenges encountered with the previous passenger declaration system earlier in the year.
“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,” Adebakin said.
According to her, the SCADS platform will enable inbound international passengers to declare baggage and dutiable goods before arriving in Nigeria. She said the process is expected to reduce delays and ease congestion at airport terminals.
Adebakin explained that the platform would automate revenue assessment by relying on the quantity, category and actual value of goods declared by passengers.
“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 stated.
She also said the system would improve accountability in Customs revenue generation through data-based assessments.
“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 added.
Customs Area Controller of the FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, said the choice of Abuja for the pilot phase reflected confidence in the command’s operational capacity.
She explained that the new system integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital structure designed to meet international operational standards.
“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” Alibo noted.
Alibo disclosed that the pilot phase of the initiative would run from May 18 to May 22, 2026. She said the period would allow Customs officers and technical teams to test the system before its deployment across the country.
Senior Customs officers, representatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), government agencies and stakeholders in the aviation sector attended the launch ceremony in Abuja.