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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched its One-Stop-Shop (OSS) platform for seamless dispute resolution and faster cargo clearance even as the Service has concluded plans to commence paperless operations by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos, describing the OSS as a unified operational framework that centralises all risk interventions within a coordinated digital and physical environment, replacing fragmented processes with an integrated clearance system.
In line with the approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the platform brings together valuation, customs processing centres, intelligence, enforcement, compliance monitoring, and gate operations into a single workflow, supported by digital tracking and clearly defined escalation paths.
Adeniyi, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Controller of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Timi Bomodi, added that the launch of the OSS will further reduce physical interfaces, enhance data integrity, improve processing speed, and strengthen audit controls.
“As part of this broader transformation, the service is advancing toward a fully paperless Customs environment. I am pleased to inform stakeholders that the first phase of this transition, covering core clearance, documentation, and approval processes, is scheduled for rollout by the end of the second quarter of this year. This initiative will further reduce physical interfaces, enhance data integrity, improve processing speed, and strengthen audit controls,” he said.
Adeniyi reiterated that the launch of the OSS marks a new phase in the service’s relationship with the trading community, anchored on mutual confidence and shared responsibility.
He added that the initiative depends on trust, strengthens transparency, and reinforces our commitment to fair and predictable processes.
“Today’s engagement addresses a concern shared by the government, business, and citizens alike: how efficiently Nigeria moves goods across its borders, and how that efficiency shapes investment, competitiveness, and economic growth,” Adeniyi added.
According to him, for years, traders, manufacturers, and logistics operators have pointed to delays, overlapping checks, fragmented processes, and unpredictable interventions that increase the cost of doing business and weaken confidence in our systems.
“National assessments, Nigeria’s recent Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organization, and the findings of our just-concluded Time Release Study have documented these challenges, showing that while physical inspections often take only a few hours, consignments spend several days in idle waiting, due largely to uncoordinated procedures and system gaps,” Adeniyi said.
He stressed that these realities point clearly to structural and procedural gaps that can no longer be addressed through incremental adjustments or isolated interventions.
The CGC emphasised that what is required is a coordinated, technology-enabled, and institutionally embedded solution, one that aligns policy intent with operational reality, balances facilitation with control, and places accountability at the centre of border management.
He explained that the OSS initiative is firmly anchored in Nigeria’s broader business environment reforms under Executive Order 001 and the Business Facilitation Act, which emphasise transparency, service timelines, digitisation, and inter-agency coordination.
Adeniyi highlighted that no border reform succeeds without a strong and sustained partnership.
He maintained that the OSS promotes inter-agency collaboration, harmonised inspections, and seamless information sharing in line with the “One Government” directive.
“Sector assessments have emphasised the importance of unified interface stations and joint task forces at the ports, reinforcing the need for coordinated regulatory action,” he said.
“Recent assessments by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council have acknowledged measurable progress while also highlighting persistent bureaucratic bottlenecks and weak consequence management. Within this reform framework, the NCS has continued to reposition its systems to support national competitiveness, with improved rankings in efficiency and transparency reflecting these efforts, even as they remind us that institutional reform must remain continuous, practical, and results-driven,” Adeniyi added.
The customs boss pointed out that over time, risk intervention at the declaration processing stage evolved into a fragmented structure in which valuation, enforcement, intelligence, compliance, and processing units operated largely in isolation, with limited coordination and unclear accountability.
Adeniyi added that with the platform, multiple checkpoints would be collapsed into one coordinated decision space through automated alerts, joint inspections, and shared dashboards, ensuring that interventions are no longer isolated actions but collective, accountable, and fully traceable decisions anchored in institutional responsibility.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, noted that OSS adoption began in 2018 but faced challenges, mainly due to communication gaps.
“The digital platform now consolidates all risk interventions into a single interface, eliminating procedural complications and improving clearance efficiency,” she said.
She urged officers at ports and border stations to take ownership of the process.
“Your involvement is crucial to achieving the objectives of the One-Stop-Shop. Active participation from all teams will ensure the platform’s success,” she said.
In a goodwill message, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, lauded the NCS for improving the ease of doing business.
The MAN Director General, who was represented at the event by Mr. Segun Oshidipe, said the OSS represents a deliberate step to streamline procedures, reduce bottlenecks, enhance inter-agency coordination, and improve operations at ports and borders.
He expressed MAN’s readiness to collaborate for the OSS’s successful implementation and hoped the engagement would boost operational efficiency, enhance trade facilitation, and contribute to national economic development.
Earlier, the National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emenike Nwokeoji, expressed full support for the initiative, stating that the OSS will not only reduce costs but will also reduce human intervention.
The occasion also provided ample time for dialogue as industry stakeholders including veteran maritime lawyers, freight forwarders, Customs officers, among others fielded questions and got comprehensive answers. A step-by-step guide of the OSS operation was equally explained at the conference.
