FIC Report (Lagos State) – The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has unveiled a results-driven reform agenda aimed at improving operational efficiency and enhancing the country’s trade competitiveness. The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), was unveiled at a three-day operational workshop in Apapa, Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, outlined a five-pillar strategy to drive the reform, focusing on joint inspections, risk-based cargo clearance, optimisation of scanning infrastructure, enforcement of service timelines, and strengthened inter-agency coordination.
“This workshop is about closing the distance between knowing and doing. The Service must now focus on translating established best practices into consistent operational outcomes,” Adeniyi said.
The CGC emphasised the need for intelligence-led cargo processing, noting that investments in digital platforms and scanning systems must translate into faster and more transparent clearance processes for traders.
“We must move from inspecting everything to inspecting the right thing,” said Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, Director-General of PEBEC, highlighting the importance of adopting risk-based, data-driven inspection systems to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of doing business.
Adeniyi disclosed that the workshop would produce a reform execution matrix to be closely monitored, urging officers to uphold professionalism at all times.
“The reform implementation matrix will not end up in a filing cabinet. It will be actively monitored, and I will personally follow the progress reports. The professionalism, commitment, and integrity that this workshop asks of are qualities you need to acquire. I am therefore, asking you to deploy them consistently, not selectively,” he stated.
Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, said the Service’s evolving mandate places it at the centre of trade facilitation and economic growth, adding that operational efficiency must be reflected across all commands.
The CGC and PEBEC delegation also visited the National Single Window facility, where they met with the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, and other stakeholders to assess progress and address operational gaps.
Dimaka Chioma
Deputy Director Information/Public Relations
