Nigeria Customs Hosts Stakeholders in Lagos, Unveils Progress on Bodogwu Clearance System

Nigeria Customs Hosts Stakeholders in Lagos, Unveils Progress on Bodogwu Clearance System

LAGOS, JULY 21, 2025 — The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, modernization, and stakeholder inclusion with the successful hosting of a Town Hall Meeting in Lagos to discuss the ongoing deployment and optimization of the Unified Customs Management System, known as the Bodogwu Clearance System.

The high-level engagement, held at Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, brought together key players from across the trade ecosystem — including importers, shipping companies, terminal operators, financial institutions, regulators, and air and land border agents — to assess progress and share feedback on the digital transformation initiative.

Delivering the welcome address, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernization, DCG K.I. Adeola, described the event as a strategic platform designed to promote inclusive dialogue, showcase the system’s capabilities, and address the challenges faced by users of the new platform.

“The Bodogwu system has already shown significant promise in enhancing clearance efficiency, cargo visibility, and revenue generation,” DCG Adeola said. “However, the true success of this reform depends on how well we engage the people it was built for — our stakeholders.”

Under the theme “Enhancing Trade Compliance and System Optimization Through Stakeholder Engagement,” the meeting featured live demonstrations of the platform, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions that allowed stakeholders to raise concerns and offer suggestions.

Adeola acknowledged that while the system has improved overall service delivery, some importers and agents are still navigating challenges. He emphasized that these issues are not roadblocks, but opportunities for deeper engagement, education, and joint problem-solving.

The Customs boss also announced that the Town Hall meeting would not be a one-off initiative. A series of post-event virtual workshops will be launched to provide practical support and capacity building for importers, brokers, and agents — covering areas such as trade documentation, payment integration, risk profiling, and system troubleshooting.

“Our goal is to deepen user capacity and ensure that everyone across the trade value chain can fully benefit from this digital leap,” he added.

DCG Adeola lauded the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his visionary leadership in driving the digital modernization agenda, and extended appreciation to NCS partners for their ongoing collaboration.

“The digital future we envision is one where all actors in the trade chain are empowered, connected, and accountable,” he concluded.

Participants were urged to take full advantage of the engagement, ask questions, and contribute ideas to co-create a Customs experience that is faster, smarter, and more transparent for the benefit of Nigeria’s economy.