Customs unveils smart passenger clearance system at Abuja Airport

By Vivian Okejeme

In a bid to end airport delays, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Monday, officially launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The new development will in a long way improves passenger clearance, compliance and Customs operations.
The Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, explained that the platform, was designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers.
Therefore, it is expected to reduce manual bottlenecks, improve transparency in revenue assessment and enhance operational efficiency at Nigeria’s international airports.
Speaking at the official launch, he said the deployment marks another major step in the Service’s digital transformation agenda under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
DCG Adebakin said the initiative became necessary following operational challenges encountered on the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier this year, stressing that, rather than allow the setbacks to slow operations, the Service chose to develop a stronger, more efficient alternative.
“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,” she said.
According to her, the newly introduced SCADS platform allows passengers to declare items before arrival, thereby reducing 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 further explained that the system will eliminate subjective revenue assessment by ensuring that duties are automatically generated based on declared items, their quantities, and their 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 made the pilot rollout possible.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller, FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the Command for the pilot phase as a vote of confidence in its operational capacity.
She said the new platform integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital framework designed to support global Customs best practices.
“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” Comptroller Alibo said.
She disclosed that 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 of SCADS 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.