Listen to story here
The Chairman of Yajifarz Group, High Chief Abdulamjid Solademi, has commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for launching the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS), describing it as a major step toward improving passenger clearance, compliance and Customs operations.
Speaking in a goodwill message on behalf of stakeholders at the launch held at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday, Solademi said the platform would ease trade and enhance seamless travel for passengers entering and leaving Nigeria.
He noted that the pilot platform, introduced at the Abuja airport, signals Nigeria’s growing maturity in international aviation operations and would strengthen efficiency without revenue losses.
“In terms of revenue, there will be no loss. We appreciate the efforts of the Comptroller-General of Customs and the Honourable Minister of Aviation in achieving this milestone,” Solademi said.
He also urged government agencies, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), technical teams and aviation stakeholders to support the nationwide rollout of the system.
SCADS, designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers, is expected to reduce manual bottlenecks, improve transparency in revenue assessment and boost efficiency at international airports.
Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Comptroller Oluyomi Adebakin, said the initiative aligns with the Service’s digital transformation agenda under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Adebakin explained that SCADS was developed after operational issues affected the previous declaration platform earlier this year.
“Rather than see it as a setback, we saw an opportunity to build something stronger and more efficient,” she said.
According to her, passengers can now declare items before arrival, enabling faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother airport processing.
She added that the platform would eliminate subjective duty assessments through automated calculations based on declared items, quantity and value.
Earlier, Customs Area Controller, FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, described Abuja’s selection for the pilot phase as a reflection of the Command’s operational strength.
She said SCADS integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a unified digital framework aligned with global Customs standards.
The pilot phase runs from May 18 to May 22, 2026, ahead of nationwide deployment. Senior Customs officers, FAAN officials, partner agencies and technical stakeholders attended the launch.
