Apapa Customs Command Begins Operations On B’Odogwu
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has officially commenced operations on the new B’Odogwu platform, successfully processing and clearing its first Single Goods Declaration (SGD). This marks a significant shift towards faster, more reliable cargo handling.
At the milestone event on Friday, 9 May 2025, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, stated that the platform was developed to meet the demands of modern international trade while resolving long-standing issues with the previous system.
“We have created a robust platform that facilitates trade and ensures the swift clearance of cargo. Challenges such as poor network connectivity, delays, and congestion associated with the former system end today,” he declared.
Comptroller Olomu underscored Apapa Command’s strategic importance in Nigeria’s trade ecosystem, noting that it handles between 400 and 500
declarations daily. “As a premier port, Apapa remains at the forefront of trade facilitation, anti-smuggling operations, and revenue generation,” he said.
He also pointed to persistent difficulties experienced, including frequent network failures and resultant port congestion that disrupted stakeholder operations.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, for his leadership in launching the platform and aligning Nigeria’s customs operations with global best practices.
As part of the transition, Comptroller Olomu revealed that stakeholders and agents have received hands-on training to ease the adoption of the new system. He affirmed that the sensitisation efforts would continue until all stakeholders are fully conversant with the platform.
The first clearing agent to use the platform in Apapa, Olarewanju Oyebanjo of Bedowick Nigeria Limited, expressed satisfaction with the experience. “I feel privileged to be the first agent to use this platform at Apapa. The process is smooth and straightforward,” he said.
