The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun piloting the processing of Form M on its new B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System across all its commands as part of its ongoing push for digitisation and trade facilitation.
Three major commands, including Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML), Tin Can Island Port, and Lagos Port Complex (Apapa port), were selected for the pilot phase, which focused on testing system performance and engaging key stakeholders.
So far, 544 Form M entries have been processed on the platform. According to the Service, 283 forms were successfully registered, 10 validated, 26 stored for further action, while 41 were submitted and 120 returned for corrections. Another 11 were queried, 14 had their Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAARs) locked, and 39 were recommended for approval.
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On the PAAR front, 37 were generated during the pilot. Of these, 7 were registered, 12 processed into Single Goods Declarations (SGDs), two fully approved, 8 sent for further review, four submitted, and four queried, pointing to what Customs described as the B’Odogwu system’s “operational capacity to support end-to-end trade documentation.”
The pilot, the Service said, sets the tone for a national rollout that will simplify documentation and reduce clearance delays.
In line with this, Customs is urging carriers, including shipping lines and airlines, to begin sending manifests via the B’Odogwu platform, even as financial institutions and traders are being advised to get ready for full deployment.
“The successful implementation of the Form M pilot on the B’Odogwu platform signals the beginning of a nationwide transition,” the Service said.
The agency, led by Bashir Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General, said it will continue to implement “strategic automation initiatives” that support trade, boost revenue, and strengthen national development.
