By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service has launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport as part of efforts to improve passenger clearance, enhance compliance and modernise Customs operations across the country’s international airports.
The digital platform, officially unveiled on Monday, 18 May 2026, is designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers by reducing manual bottlenecks, improving transparency in revenue assessment and enhancing operational efficiency.
Speaking during the launch ceremony in Abuja, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the deployment as another milestone in the Service’s ongoing digital transformation drive under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Adebakin explained that the initiative became necessary following operational challenges encountered on the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier in the year, noting that the Service used the experience as an opportunity to develop a more efficient and reliable solution.
“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, the SCADS platform enables passengers to declare items before arrival, thereby reducing clearance time while improving compliance and operational integrity.
“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 Deputy Comptroller-General further stated that the system would eliminate subjective revenue assessment by ensuring that duties are automatically generated based on declared items, their 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 also commended officers of the Non-Intrusive Inspection Unit, members of the deployment team and technical partners whose contributions made the pilot rollout successful.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller, FCT Area Command, Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the Command for the pilot phase as a demonstration of confidence in its operational capability.
Alibo said the newly introduced platform integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital framework aimed at aligning Nigeria’s Customs operations with global best practices.
“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” she said.
She disclosed that the pilot phase would run from Monday, 18 May to Friday, 22 May 2026, during which officers would assess the system’s performance in a live operational environment ahead of nationwide deployment.
The launch ceremony was attended by senior Customs officers, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner government agencies, technical teams and other stakeholders within Nigeria’s aviation and border management sector.
