Customs launches smart declaration platform to end airport delays

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in a move aimed at improving passenger clearance, compliance, and Customs operations.

The platform, designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers, is expected to reduce manual bottlenecks, improve transparency in revenue assessment, and enhance operational efficiency at Nigeria’s international airports. Speaking at the official launch, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the deployment marks another major step in the Service’s digital transformation agenda under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.

DCG Adebakin said the initiative became necessary following operational challenges encountered on the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier this year. He stressed that, rather than allow the setbacks to slow operations, the Service chose to develop a stronger, more efficient alternative. “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 newly introduced SCADS platform allows 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 DCG further explained that the system will eliminate subjective revenue assessment by ensuring that duties are automatically generated based on declared items, their quantities, and their 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.