The Nigeria Customs Service, on Monday 18 May, 2026, officially launched what it called “Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS)” at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in a move aimed at strengthening passenger clearance, improving compliance and customs operations.
The platform, designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers, 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, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, DCG Oluyomi Adebakin, 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 experienced on the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier this year, stressing that rather than allow those setbacks slow down operations, the Service chose to build a stronger and more efficient alternative.
She said, “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.”
According to her, the newly introduced SCADS platform gives passengers the opportunity to declare items before arrival, thereby reducing clearance time while improving compliance and operational integrity.
She said, “For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance, and smoother movement through our airports.”
The DCG added that the system will also eliminate subjective revenue assessment by ensuring that duties are generated automatically based on declared items, their quantity, and actual value.
“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 objective, accurate, and driven by data.” She added.
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 declaration and e-commerce declaration processes into a single digital framework designed to support global customs best practices.
Comptroller Alibo said, “SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks, and align our operations with international standards.”
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 official SACADS launching was attemded 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.
