Customs launches SCADS to speed up passenger clearance, cut airport delays

By Ifeyinwa Ike

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, launched the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) at the international wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to speed up passenger clearance, boost compliance and modernise Customs operations.

SCADS, which lets inbound international passengers declare baggage before arrival, is expected to reduce manual bottlenecks, shorten clearance times, improve transparency in revenue assessment and enhance operational efficiency at Nigeria’s international airports.

Deputy Comptroller‑General in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the rollout is another major step in the Service’s digital transformation agenda under Comptroller‑General Adewale Adeniyi.

She added that the new platform was developed after the Service’s earlier passenger declaration system experienced operational problems.

“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,” she said.

Adebakin explained that SCADS allows advance declaration before arrival, producing faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother passenger movement.

“For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother movement through our airports,” she said.

She also said that the system will remove subjective revenue assessments by automatically generating duties based on declared items, quantities and actual values.

“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 more objective, accurate and driven by data,” she stated.

Comptroller Victoria Alibo, Customs Area Controller, FCT Area Command, described the command’s selection for the pilot as a vote of confidence in its operational capacity.

She said SCADS integrates passenger baggage and e‑commerce declarations into a single digital framework to support global Customs best practices.

“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” Comptroller Alibo said.

The five‑day pilot runs 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 launch was attended by senior Customs officers, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner agencies, technical teams and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation and border management ecosystem