Customs Launches SCADS to Speed Clearance and Improve Compliance Nationwide
By Patience Ikpeme
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, 18 May 2026 formally launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) at the International Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in a bid to improve passenger clearance, compliance and overall Customs operations.
The SCADS platform, built to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers, is expected to reduce manual bottlenecks, increase transparency in revenue assessment and boost operational efficiency at Nigeria’s international airports.
Speaking at the launch, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the deployment represents “another major step in the Service’s digital transformation agenda” under Comptroller‑General Adewale Adeniyi.
DCG Adebakin explained the initiative followed operational challenges with an earlier passenger declaration platform earlier this year, and that the Service opted to develop “a stronger, more efficient alternative” rather than allow setbacks to slow operations.She said the SCADS platform allows passengers to declare items before arrival, which will reduce 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 also said the system will remove subjective revenue assessment by ensuring duties are automatically generated based on declared items, 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 commended officers of the Non‑Intrusive Inspection Unit, members of the deployment team and technical partners whose efforts enabled the pilot rollout.Earlier, Customs.
Area Controller, FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the Command for the pilot as “a vote of confidence in its operational capacity.”Comptroller Alibo said the new platform integrates passenger baggage and e‑commerce declarations into a single digital framework aligned with global Customs 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 the pilot phase will run for five days, from Monday, 18 May to Friday, 22 May 2026, during which officers will evaluate the system in a live environment ahead of nationwide deployment.
The pilot launch was attended by senior Customs officers, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner government agencies, technical teams and other key stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation and border management ecosystem.
