The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a striking revenue milestone: ₦161.2 billion collected in just three weeks using the Unified Customs Management System, popularly known as B’Odogwu. The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, disclosed this while addressing reporters on the performance of the system between August 1 and 22, 2025. The data signals a significant early impact of the homegrown ICT initiative on trade facilitation and revenue performance.

Key details from the briefing

• Source of data: Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, speaking to reporters on the system’s performance.
• Period covered: August 1–22, 2025.
• Platform: B’Odogwu (Unified Customs Management System).
• Context: The figure comes despite initial challenges with the platform, with assurances that improvements are underway.
• Strategic importance: Apapa Command is described as a critical hub for Customs operations, with expectations that B’Odogwu will surpass stakeholders’ expectations in trade facilitation and efficiency.

What Olomu highlighted

• Overcoming earlier glitches: Stakeholders’ confidence in the ICT initiative underscores a shared commitment to a homegrown solution that aims to streamline processes and cut down delays.
• Engagement at the executive level: The Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, has maintained dialogue with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to mitigate downtime impacts on trade processes.
• Demurrage considerations: Discussions with terminal operators and shipping companies on demurrage waivers were part of the engagement strategy to ease the transition.
• On-the-ground leadership: Zonal Coordinator Mr. Charles Orbih was physically present at Apapa to interface with stakeholders and address operational concerns.

Operational changes to ease the clearance backlog

To accelerate clearances and reduce delays, Olomu indicated that:

• Extended working hours: Officers at the command have been directed to work longer hours, including weekends, to fast-track pending transactions.
• Focus on efficiency: The aim is to make the B’Odogwu system more efficient than the previous ICT platforms deployed by the Service.

What this could mean for stakeholders

• For importers and freight forwarders: A potential reduction in clearance time and smoother transactions as processes are consolidated under B’Odogwu.
• For shipping lines and terminal operators: Dialogue on demurrage waivers could alleviate some cost pressures during the transition period.
• For the broader trade ecosystem: A successful roll-out of B’Odogwu could set a precedent for other commands and potentially influence policy discussions around digital customs platforms in Nigeria.

Quick takeaways

• The ₦161.2 billion figure in three weeks is a strong early indicator of B’Odogwu’s revenue-generating potential, even as system glitches are addressed.
• Leadership at Apapa is actively engaging stakeholders and taking concrete steps (extended hours, weekend work) to clear backlogs.
• Ongoing collaboration with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and terminal operators is aimed at smoothing trade flows and managing downtime impact

• Journalist’s Questions

• Track system reliability metrics in the next 4–6 weeks: uptime, transaction processing times, and backlog clearance rates.
• Gather perspectives from importers, agents, and terminal operators to gauge perceived improvements and remaining pain points.
• Monitor any official updates on demurrage waivers and policy adjustments tied to B’Odogwu deployment.
• Compare Apapa’s performance with other command zones to assess whether early gains are scalable nationally.