The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has opened talks with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in a bid to smooth the troubled rollout of its new digital clearance platform, known as B’Odogwu, amid mounting criticism from freight forwarders and licensed agents.
At a meeting in Abuja on Monday, Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the NSC’s Executive Secretary, Dr Akutah Ukeyima, discussed operational snags that have led to delays, documentation backlogs, and rising demurrage charges since the system went live.
Industry representatives have warned that glitches in integration and port logistics are inflicting financial losses and threatening to disrupt the cargo clearance chain. Ukeyima, relaying feedback from operators, urged Customs to act quickly to prevent further damage to trade flows.
Adeniyi defended the platform as a cornerstone of the government’s Customs Modernisation Programme, designed to centralise clearance processes, cut timelines, reduce costs, and boost compliance. While acknowledging the teething problems, he promised that phased improvements, ongoing stakeholder engagement, and regular system upgrades would address the concerns.
Both agencies stressed the importance of continuous dialogue with freight operators, shipping lines, and terminal managers to align processes and limit the burden of transitional costs. Customs said measures were already under way to shield businesses from excessive demurrage and other penalties.
B’Odogwu, an indigenous technology platform, is billed as a flagship reform aimed at creating a transparent, technology-driven, and globally competitive trade ecosystem. The NCS has urged stakeholders to back the reform with constructive feedback, positioning the system as vital to Nigeria’s push for efficiency, competitiveness, and revenue growth.
