By Yakubu Salisu, Kano
The Nigeria Customs Service has engaged critical stakeholders in Kano in the import and clearing sector for a one day sensitization session during which they were educated on a new NCS trading portal “B,ODOGWU” a Unified Customs Management System.
The Platform (B’ODOGWU) is an automated end to end Customs clearance system which conforms with international standard and various sections of NCS Acts that ensures trade facilitation which also aim to make people more compliant and make easy, various Customs processes as regards to import and clearance.
The Controller of Customs, Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Compt. D. Abubakar described the platform as most recent achievement of the Service in relation to transition from manual to automation of Custom Clearance procedure.
“Before now, we have been using contractors to do our job. Today under the able leadership of Controller of Customs, Bashir A. Adeniyi MFR we are introducing a platform called “B’ ODOGWU”. A platform that is promising, transparent, efficient and also effective when it comes to Customs clearance procedure”.
“We invited stakeholders such as clearing agents and terminal operators so that we can be on the same page because we are on the verge of switching off license 2 in Kano and liking up with B’ODOGWU an indigenous creation”.
“This Acronym and the native word odogwu simply translate to mean our Borders have come of age, the strength, resilience and compliance level developed by our own able Customs officers and we have invited specialists from Abuja Headquarters who came and trained us on how to effectively operate the platform and we are ready to put it to use as soon as possible.
I call on the stakeholders to key into this new initiative and make judicious use of it for better experiences between the Customs Service and all its partners for a whole new window of development”, Abubakar added.
Furthermore, Assistant Superintendent of Customs 1 Sadik Abubakar with the Bodogwu implementation team NCS Headquarters, Abuja ICT Department said the emphasis is on trade facilitation and faster clearance process for importers and clearing agents.
According to him, it will be recalled that there is a Federal Government Policy on National single window launched by President Bola Tinubu last year. This application encourages single submission of information or data that will discourage manual processes and repetition as well as compromise of data.
In the same vein, the Chairman, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, Kano Hafiz Rilwan Applauded the Customs for equipping them with knowledge to be onboard the new platform. He urged all members not to hesitate in joining the new initiative.
“This initiative has been piloted in other terminals and has been successful, kano will not be an exception. We hope all members who wish to remain in business will key into this and we assure the Service of our support and shall communicate any observations for improvement were necessary”, Rilwan added.