The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as part of efforts to improve passenger clearance and customs operations.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada.
According to the service, the digital platform is designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers, reduce manual bottlenecks, improve transparency in revenue assessment, and enhance operational efficiency across Nigeria’s international airports.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described SCADS as another milestone in the service’s digital transformation drive.
She explained that the initiative followed operational challenges encountered with the previous passenger declaration platform introduced 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.
She stated that the new platform would allow passengers to declare items before arrival, leading to faster clearance, easier compliance, and smoother 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.
Adebakin also noted that the platform would eliminate subjective revenue assessments by automatically generating duties based on declared goods, quantities, and actual values.
She further stressed that the system would improve transparency and ensure that customs duties are assessed accurately using data-driven processes.
