By MERCY SAWOK and MARTHA AGAS

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) indigenous B’Odogwu platform is transforming trade facilitation through paperless cargo clearance and improved transparency across the customs value chain.

The Executive Director of Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) Ltd., Mr Ahmed Ogunsola, said this during a presentation titled’ The Deployment of B’Odogwu and the New NCS at a retreat in Abuja.

The retreat which focused on the theme ‘Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms.’ Was organised by the NCS for the Senate Committee on Customs.

Ogunsola described B’Odogwu as more than a software application, saying it comprised interconnected digital solutions designed to modernise customs operations and simplify trade processes.

He said the platform was being implemented under a 20-year strategic partnership between the Federal Government and TMP Ltd., combining government oversight with private-sector financing and technical expertise.

According to him, the arrangement has not transferred operational control of Customs to a private entity, contrary to earlier public misconceptions.

“The Nigeria Customs Service retains full operational control, policy direction and regulatory authority over all customs activities.

“TMP is the concessionaire responsible for financing the project, providing technology, technical expertise and managing its implementation with technical partners,” he said.

According to him, the name “B’Odogwu” was coined during a management retreat convened by the C-G in January 2024 to replace the technical name, Unified Customs Management System.

He said the name combined the concepts of border management and strength, reflecting an indigenous identity intended to promote national ownership of the platform.

Ogunsola said a major goal of B’Odogwu was to eliminate paper-based processing by providing end-to-end digital clearance through a single integrated platform.

He explained that traders could process Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAAR), declarations, payments and cargo examinations through one interface instead of multiple disconnected systems.

According to him, the integration closed information gaps that previously slowed cargo clearance and created inefficiencies.

The platform, he said, was developed jointly by NCS officers and technology experts, adding that all its source code resided within Nigeria.

“From the first line of code, Customs officers were involved in the development.

“All 118 million lines of code are resident in Nigeria and remain under the full ownership of the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.

Ogunsola added that the platform enabled traders to monitor application status in real time through personalised dashboards, eliminating uncertainty over where documents were being processed.

He also said B’Odogwu incorporated artificial intelligence and machine learning to support automated risk management, cargo classification and validation.

According to him, the intelligent risk engine allowed customs to update risk parameters in line with policy changes and automatically identify high-risk declarations for scrutiny.

He said the platform had automated payment reconciliation by providing instant confirmation after traders paid customs assessments through authorised banks.

This, he said, eliminated the cumbersome manual reconciliation process previously carried out using multiple spreadsheets and enhanced transparency in revenue collection.

“The moment payment is made, the system automatically notifies Customs, making it easier to reconcile collections and identify any discrepancies in remittances,” he said.

Ogunsola said B’Odogwu also integrated cargo examination, gate pass issuance and exit procedures into a single digital environment, making trade processing faster, more transparent and efficient.

He expressed confidence that the platform would strengthen trade facilitation, improve revenue assurance and enhance Nigeria’s customs administration. (NAN)

Update news