Former Vice President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Kayode Farinto, has urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to enhance communication over slowdowns experienced on processing cargo clearance on the B?Odogwu during the peak periods, particularly as import activities increase towards the end-of-year season.

Farinto said some users had raised concerns over the slowdowns experienced, noting that the ?Ember months? traditionally sees a surge in import activity, which also come with heightened pressure on all port systems, both digital and physical, requiring robust systems and logistics.

Meanwhile, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Dr. Abdullahi Maiwada, dismissed claims that the B?Odogwu platform suffered a systemwide outage, insisting that the reported issues were most likely personal technical challenges affecting a single user.

Maiwada said there was no evidence of a general system failure and urged individuals experiencing difficulties to channel their concerns through the appropriate help desk.

?If a complaint has documentation issues or problems specific to him, I think it?s better he rolls out his problem to the help desk team and find out what the problem is, not to make a general conclusion that the entire system is not working. If he is the only one complaining and others are importing and have not complained, it means it?s a problem peculiar to him that needs to be addressed,? he stated.

The Freight Forwarder and Customs Broker, said disruptions anywhere within the logistics chain, especially with technology downtime, can create ripple effects on cargo release, supply chains and business timelines, especially for perishable and time-sensitive imports and exports.

He said repeated system failures and instability disrupts port operations, resulting in billions of naira in financial losses to the economy, urging NCS to reassure the trading community with transparent updates, improved user support channels, and a long-term optimisation plan that ensures uninterrupted service delivery as trade volumes grow.

?The supply chain disruption is inevitable as timely access to raw materials and finished goods has been compromised, causing production delays, potential factory shutdowns, job losses, and higher consumer prices.

?System failures also undermine Nigeria?s reliability as a trading partner, deterring foreign investment and diminishing international commercial confidence thereby, causing a reputational damage to the country?s trading community,? he said.

Farinto further appealed to the Ministry of Finance and the National Assembly to continue supporting the ongoing modernisation of Nigeria?s customs processes, while ensuring that stakeholders? feedback is reflected in future system enhancements. (The Guardian)

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