…targets 1 hour clearance
Since its rollout in October 2024, the Unified Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu, has raked in over N230 billion at the Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command.
But for Comptroller Tenny Daniyan, Area Controller of the command, the platform’s real strength goes beyond revenue.
“This is our baby,” Daniyan said to members of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) at his office in Lagos over the weekend.
“We don’t need a third party. It is fully Nigerian. Unlike NICIS, where you have to translate and send issues abroad, B’Odogwu lets us handle everything in-house. That alone saves the country billions in potential capital flight.”
The Command Comptroller was referring to the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS), a digital platform virtual single window used by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for managing trade processes, allowing importers, exporters, and customs officials to process transactions efficiently.
Though NICIS has undergone upgrades, with NICIS II introducing automation for Free Trade Zone (FTZ) operations, its time might just be up.
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Built with AI-backed features, B’Odogwu is designed to support proper cargo classification and secure processing, much more than its predecessor could.
Daniyan acknowledged initial hiccups, but noted that over 90 percent of the technical challenges at PTML, where it was piloted, have now been resolved.
“Going forward to Tin Can or Apapa, they won’t face the kind of technical problems we faced. Any challenge there will mostly come from stakeholders either refusing to use the system or failing to make proper declarations,” he assured.
Daniyan pointed to the over N147 billion already realised by the command in 2025 alone as proof that the system is working.
But perhaps more importantly, he said, the technology is built to reward compliance with speed.
“If you’re a compliant trader, we can clear your cargo in one hour,” he said. “That’s the future we’re working towards. But it all depends on how honest your declarations are. B’Odogwu is robust enough to spot irregularities.”
As the platform continues to gain ground, Daniyan said it offers a bold new narrative for Nigerian Customs, one that’s not just generating money, but saving a lot of it.
