Customs launches SCADS to end airport clearance delays

By Fredrick Ameh

The Nigeria Customs Service has launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) to improve passenger clearance, strengthen compliance, and eliminate operational delays at Nigeria’s international airports.

The digital platform was officially unveiled on Monday at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport as part of the Service’s ongoing modernization drive aimed at improving transparency, operational efficiency, and revenue assessment.

The platform is designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers by allowing advance declaration before arrival, thereby reducing manual bottlenecks and easing airport clearance procedures.

According to the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernization, Oluyomi Adebakin, the initiative became necessary following operational challenges experienced on the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier this 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 stated.

She explained that the newly introduced SCADS platform would ensure faster clearance processes, easier compliance, and smoother passenger movement across airports.

She further noted that the system would eliminate subjective revenue assessment by automatically generating duties 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 data-driven,” she added.

Also speaking, the Customs Area Controller, FCT Area Command, Victoria Alibo, noted that the selection of her command for the pilot phase reflects confidence in its operational strength and capacity.

She explained that the platform integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital framework aligned with international Customs standards.

“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks, and align our operations with international standards,” Alibo said.

She disclosed that the pilot phase would run from Monday, May 18, to Friday, May 22, 2026, ahead of the nationwide deployment.

The launch was attended by senior Customs officers, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner government agencies, technical teams, and key stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation and border management sectors.