The Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, has called for patience and deeper understanding among stakeholders regarding the challenges faced by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in implementing the new B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System.
He said that in this period of transition teething problems are expected. He emphasized that the Comptroller-General of Customs and his team are actively engaging stakeholders across various commands, visiting ports in the east and west to troubleshoot issues and strengthen collaboration.
He noted that Port command controllers from Apapa, TCIP, PTML, and the Federal Operations Unit have launched educational outreach programs targeting freight forwarders and DTI operators.
Dr. Aniebonam called for strategic funding of NCS, urging the National Assembly and Presidency to leverage the Customs Act to properly fund the Service, especially as Nigeria gains global attention following the Comptroller-General’s appointment as Chairman of the World Customs Organisation.
He stressed the importance of transparency and integrity in declarations to avoid the pitfalls that plagued the NICIS II system.
He proposed measures to solve the problems at hand, calling for a 90-day grace period for non-compliant traders as well as provisional release of cargo during B’Odogwu’s refinement phase.
He urged freight forwarders regulated by the CRFFN to support NCS efforts and invest in upskilling through NAGAFF Academy or other training institutions focused on IT and port management.
The NAGAFF Founder opined that Nigeria must set a standard for others to follow as it’s now under the global Customs spotlight.